Clearly, Ikkaku Madarame had lied when he fought Ichigo Kurosaki.
With his current strength, if he went all out, he could directly awaken Dragon-Patterned Kidōmaru. There was no need to use battle to stimulate it.
But thinking about it, using Bankai during his fight with Ichigo Kurosaki had already been excessive.
After all, at the time, Ichigo Kurosaki did not even know what "Bankai" was.
Under such circumstances, how could Ikkaku Madarame possibly have used his full strength?
However, Ikkaku Madarame had never expected Ichigo Kurosaki's reiatsu to surge again during their battle.
It was like when Captain Zaraki had once removed the eyepatch suppressing his reiatsu. His reiatsu increased tenfold, crossing from Vice-Captain level into the threshold of Captain-level.
It was precisely because of Ichigo Kurosaki's sudden eruption that he had been able to defeat Ikkaku Madarame, who had yet to fully bring out his strength.
Facing Ikkaku Madarame in his fully released Bankai state, even Byakuya Kuchiki could not fight him in his normal state.
Thus, Byakuya Kuchiki drew the Zanpakuto at his waist and held it upright before his chest.
"Scatter—Senbonzakura!"
Cherry-colored reiatsu rose from Byakuya Kuchiki's body. The Zanpakuto in his hand transformed into countless cherry-colored petals that surged toward Ikkaku Madarame like a tide.
"Ha!"
Ikkaku Madarame swung the hand axe in his hand, cleaving apart the cherry-colored wave rushing at him.
Yet the wave of cherry blossoms was as endless as the real sea. After Ikkaku Madarame scattered one wave, another filled in from elsewhere.
Watching the battle between the cherry-colored petal tide and the red hand axe ahead, Yasutora Sado immediately ran to the side.
Judging from what Ikkaku Madarame had displayed just now, he was no match for this Captain wearing a Captain's Haori.
That was why Ikkaku Madarame had told him