After a period of Jinzen training, Renji finally learned the name of his Zanpakutō.
Zabimaru.
He drew the Asauchi at his waist, gently stroked the blade with his left hand, and murmured.
"Howl, Zabimaru."
The Asauchi in his hand let out a series of cracking sounds.
Then it transformed into a double-edged, segmented blade.
When folded, Zabimaru had six joints and seven blade sections.
The back of the blade to the middle of the sword body was black, while the rest of the edge was silver-white. Numerous protrusions covered the blade.
Renji took a deep breath, feeling his Reiatsu surge within him.
The corners of his mouth rose slightly.
"I finally… succeeded!" Renji shouted excitedly.
"Third Seat Madarame, I've mastered Shikai!"
Ikkaku Madarame looked at the Zanpakutō in Renji's hand.
"Not bad, Renji!"
A satisfied smile appeared on Ikkaku's face.
"But there's one thing you got wrong. You've only mastered Shikai itself. The true power of your Shikai is still waiting for you to uncover it."
"Third Seat Madarame, I can't wait to fight you."
After achieving Shikai, Renji was extremely confident.
"Haha, sure! Let me test your strength." Ikkaku agreed readily.
He also wanted to see just how much Renji Abarai had improved after unlocking Shikai.
Renji gripped Zabimaru tightly, his eyes full of fighting spirit.
His figure flashed forward like lightning as he charged at Ikkaku, Zabimaru dancing in his hand with a fierce momentum.
The Zabimaru in Renji's hand could extend and retract freely according to his control, turning into a flexible, extendable blade that attacked like a whip to cut down the enemy.
When Zabimaru extended, silver steel cables and chains connected the spaces between its blade segments.
Ikkaku showed no weakness.
He immediately raised his Zanpakutō and blocked Zabimaru's attack.
The two exchanged blows back and forth, neither giving an inch. For a time, it was difficult to determine the winner.
As the battle grew more intense, Zabimaru suddenly extended another section.
The blade lashed out like a whip at incredible speed. Ikkaku was caught off guard and was struck hard.
"Whoa!"
Ikkaku retreated several steps, then said,
"Renji, so this is Zabimaru's ability? The blade can extend and retract freely."
"I wonder how far it can stretch. Can it reach the level of Captain Ichimaru's Shinso?"
Ikkaku subconsciously compared Zabimaru to Shinso.
After hearing this, Renji smiled and said, "Third Seat Madarame, why don't you test that for yourself?"
After saying this, Renji pressed the advantage and attacked again.
The more he fought, the braver he became, displaying the power of his Shikai to the fullest.
When Ikkaku heard Renji's words, excitement flashed in his eyes.
He shouted loudly, gripped his Zanpakutō, and charged straight at Renji, beginning an intense duel with him.
During the battle, Renji constantly tried extending Zabimaru to even greater distances while also exploring how to better control its power.
Ikkaku, relying on his rich battle experience, tried to find Zabimaru's weaknesses.
The two sides remained locked in battle, neither willing to admit defeat.
After several exchanges, Ikkaku discovered that the maximum distance Zabimaru could extend seemed to be determined by Renji's Reiatsu.
Besides that, Renji could also use the instant acceleration from Zabimaru's extension, combined with the force of his slash, to send an opponent flying with the blade.
Its weakness was that once extended, Zabimaru could only perform up to three long-range attacks.
After three consecutive attacks, Renji had to pull it back and return it to its original form before extending it again.
"Renji, I've pretty much figured out your attacks. Next, let me show you the power of my Shikai."
Renji felt Ikkaku Madarame's powerful aura and did not dare to be careless.
He focused his mind, preparing to face Ikkaku's Shikai.
Then came a loud shout.
"Extend, Hōzukimaru!"
Ikkaku Madarame raised his Zanpakutō high, then swung it with force.
The blade released a dazzling light before transforming into a long spear.
Renji's eyes lit up, and he thought to himself, 'Third Seat Madarame finally used his Shikai. Looks like this fight is going to get intense.'
He knew Ikkaku's strength well, so he did not dare slack off in the slightest.
He immediately took a deep breath, gripped Zabimaru with both hands, and charged fiercely toward Ikkaku Madarame.
A longer weapon naturally held an advantage in reach.
After its Shikai release, Hōzukimaru's length was astonishing, and its attack range had greatly expanded compared to before.
This forced Renji to respond carefully.
He skillfully swung Zabimaru, using its extendable nature to maneuver against Ikkaku.
The two went back and forth, their battle becoming difficult to separate.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Ikkaku Madarame was worthy of being a veteran warrior who had fought countless battles.
Faced with Renji's offensive, he did not panic in the slightest. Instead, he calmly considered how to respond.
He cleverly used Hōzukimaru's characteristics to avoid Renji's fierce attacks.
At the same time, he constantly searched for openings and gradually began to counterattack.
In the end, Ikkaku Madarame's strength was still superior.
He gripped the shaft with both hands and swung Hōzukimaru with force.
The sharp spear thrust toward Renji like a gust of wind.
Renji hurriedly raised Zabimaru to block, but Hōzukimaru's power was too great. He was forced back repeatedly by the impact.
As the battle continued, Ikkaku gradually gained the upper hand.
Using Hōzukimaru's reach advantage, he continuously attacked Renji's weak points, forcing him into a difficult position.
Renji gritted his teeth and resisted stubbornly.
At the critical moment, a sudden idea came to Renji.
He extended Zabimaru to its limit, then used the segmented blade to catch Hōzukimaru's spearhead.
After that, he quickly retracted Zabimaru, intending to use the force created by the pullback to land a surprise blow on Ikkaku.
However, at that moment, a mysterious smile appeared on Ikkaku Madarame's face.
"Split, Hōzukimaru!"
With his shout, Hōzukimaru instantly changed form.
The originally straight spear suddenly split into a three-section staff, each section flashing with cold light.
Renji stared at this scene in shock, an ominous feeling rising in his heart.
But it was already too late.
Ikkaku swung the three-section staff and attacked him with astonishing speed.
Renji used all his strength to dodge to the side. The three-section staff smashed heavily into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
Renji panted heavily, his gaze locked on Ikkaku Madarame.
Ikkaku stood in place, a proud smile hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"Didn't expect that, did you, brat? This is Hōzukimaru's true form!" Ikkaku mocked him.
Renji gritted his teeth. He knew he was in trouble.
But he did not back down.
Renji gripped Zabimaru tightly and prepared to meet Ikkaku's next attack.
"Take this!"
Ikkaku shouted and once again charged forward, swinging Hōzukimaru.
The two exchanged attacks without giving an inch.
The battle entered its fiercest stage!
...
In the end, Renji admitted defeat.
He gasped for breath, but a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"You really are amazing, Third Seat Madarame! Your mastery of Shikai really isn't something I can compare to."
He gave Ikkaku Madarame a thumbs-up.