Ever since Ikkaku Madarame sparred with Renji Abarai, he had begun to feel an even greater sense of urgency.
Although he had won that sparring match, strictly speaking, he felt that he was the one who had lost.
Against Renji Abarai, who had only just learned Shikai, Ikkaku had used every method he had.
He had even used the second form of his Shikai before finally winning.
"Damn it!"
"Am I really that weak?"
Ikkaku Madarame's face was full of unwillingness, and his heart was filled with frustration.
He felt that he had already worked very hard, but it still was not enough.
"No. I can't just admit defeat like this!"
Ikkaku secretly made up his mind. He had to become even stronger!
And so, he began training like a madman.
Every day, he carried out high-intensity combat practice, constantly improving his strength.
At the same time, he also began studying various tactics and techniques, hoping to find a fighting style that truly suited him.
After a period of hard work, Ikkaku Madarame finally made some progress.
He discovered that his strength had improved, and his understanding of battle had also become deeper.
However, this was still not enough.
The current him was no longer satisfied with ordinary battles.
Instead, he longed to test himself against even stronger opponents.
...
On this day, Ikkaku went to find Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Captain Zaraki, I want to fight you!" Ikkaku shouted loudly.
Kenpachi Zaraki revealed an excited smile.
"Oh? I haven't had a fight in a long time! Madarame, since you asked, let's have a proper battle!"
Seeing this, Yachiru Kusajishi, who was standing nearby, said, "Baldy, aren't you afraid Kenny will cut you to death?"
"Lieutenant Kusajishi! I'm not a man who fears death!"
Ikkaku Madarame really disliked that nickname.
Kenpachi Zaraki and Ikkaku Madarame stood facing each other. The atmosphere grew tense to the extreme.
The battle was about to begin.
From the very start, Ikkaku Madarame used his full strength. Every slash he made contained tremendous power.
However, Kenpachi Zaraki blocked every strike with ease.
"Madarame! Bring out all your strength! What are those weak slashes? Are you a woman? Come on, let me enjoy the thrill of battle!"
The more Ikkaku fought, the more anxious he became. His moves started becoming chaotic.
At that moment, Kenpachi Zaraki saw an opening and slashed toward Ikkaku Madarame.
Caught off guard, Ikkaku Madarame was struck in the shoulder by Kenpachi's blade.
Blood sprayed from his shoulder and scattered across the ground.
"Do you still want to continue?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked.
Ikkaku Madarame felt the pain in his shoulder and gritted his teeth.
"Come on, Captain. I haven't lost yet!"
"That's right! That's the spirit. Fight!"
Zaraki truly lived up to his reputation as a battle maniac. He raised his sword again and slashed toward Ikkaku Madarame.
Ikkaku Madarame was forced back again and again by the attacks.
Zaraki grinned fiercely and said, "Madarame, this won't do. If this keeps up, I'll end up cutting you to death."
"Do your best, Scaredy! Don't get killed!"
Yachiru Kusajishi cheered for Ikkaku Madarame from the side.
"Don't look down on me, Captain!"
After saying that, Ikkaku Madarame released his Zanpakutō.
"Extend, Hōzukimaru!"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and charged toward Zaraki once again.
After several exchanges, Zaraki looked at Ikkaku, who had collapsed to the ground with heavy injuries, and revealed a satisfied smile.
"Not bad, Madarame. You can still take a few of my slashes."
Ikkaku struggled to climb back up, his face turning red.
Zaraki's words were too much of a blow to him.
What did he mean by "still take a few of my slashes"?
"Captain! One day, I'll become stronger!"
Zaraki laughed loudly, then turned around and strode away.
"I'll look forward to that day. But until then, Madarame, you'd better train hard."
Yachiru Kusajishi ran over and supported Ikkaku Madarame.
"Oh my, Baldy, you really look awful. But you were really cool!"
Ikkaku Madarame glared at her.
"Lieutenant Kusajishi! Please call me Third Seat Madarame."
..
This battle dealt Ikkaku an unprecedented blow.
Kenpachi Zaraki had cut him until his entire body was covered in wounds, leaving him in an extremely miserable state.
In the end, he had no choice but to go to the Fourth Division for treatment.
He stayed there for more than a month before recovering.
At first, the rescue personnel of the Fourth Division thought Ikkaku had been attacked by some powerful enemy.
Only later did they learn that Ikkaku had taken the initiative to challenge Zaraki himself.
He really was someone who had asked for suffering.
After recovering from his injuries, Ikkaku waited only a few days before going to challenge Zaraki again.
This time, he was already mentally prepared to lie in the Fourth Division for another month.
However, Zaraki's strength still exceeded his imagination.
Although Ikkaku fought with everything he had, he still could not withstand Zaraki's offensive and was once again cut down in a miserable state.
Even so, he showed no intention of retreating.
After every defeat, he would challenge Zaraki again without hesitation.
This persistence shocked even the members of the Fourth Division.
They began to wonder whether Ikkaku had masochistic tendencies!
But in truth, Ikkaku simply held extremely high standards for himself. He wanted to improve his strength through constant challenges.
And so, Ikkaku experienced failure after failure, yet he never gave up.
Every time he fell, he stood back up again.
He believed that as long as he persisted, one day he would become stronger.
....
On this day, during what was already an unknown number of challenges—
"Captain Zaraki, today I'll definitely cut you!"
Ikkaku shouted and charged forward.
The corner of Kenpachi Zaraki's mouth rose slightly. With a casual swing of his sword, Ikkaku was sent flying.
"Still want to continue?" Zaraki looked at Ikkaku on the ground and asked.
"Of course!"
Ikkaku struggled to climb back up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Repeated failure did not wear down Ikkaku Madarame's fighting spirit.
Instead, it made him braver and braver.
Finally, after being knocked down an unknown number of times, Ikkaku successfully left a wound on Zaraki's body.
"Hahahaha! I did it!"
Ikkaku laughed excitedly.
Zaraki looked at the excited Ikkaku and a faint smile also appeared on his face.
During this period, Ikkaku's repeated spars with Zaraki had indeed brought about a qualitative leap in his Zanjutsu.
But that was all.
Although he was beaten miserably every time, he enjoyed it, because every battle improved his strength.
However, as time passed, Ikkaku gradually realized that if he truly wanted to become stronger, relying on Zanjutsu alone was far from enough.
He began thinking about how to break through his limits and find a new source of power.
After careful consideration, he finally understood.
If he wanted to achieve that goal, the remaining path was to master the power of Bankai.
And so, Ikkaku decided to temporarily stop sparring with Zaraki and devote all his energy to Bankai training.
He knew very well that Bankai was an extremely powerful force, and mastering it required tremendous effort.
Because of that, he chose to enter secluded training, stepping into his inner world to wage a thrilling battle against his own Zanpakutō.
Within his inner world, Ikkaku fought fiercely against Hōzukimaru.
Every collision was as earthshaking as thunder.
He continuously challenged his limits, trying to earn Hōzukimaru's recognition and thereby learn the power of Bankai.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator