Although Ichigo Kurosaki had not interacted much with Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he could still tell from the attitudes of those he knew toward Captain-Commander Yamamoto just how important he was.
He was the pillar in the hearts of the Soul Reapers of the Seireitei.
Ichigo Kurosaki was a Soul Reaper himself, so he naturally understood that the difference in strength between a Soul Reaper with Bankai and one without it was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.
Take him, for example. When he did not use Bankai, his spiritual pressure was at the limit of a Soul Reaper.
Once he activated Bankai, his spiritual pressure could break through that limit and ascend to a higher dimension.
Ichigo Kurosaki in Bankai could easily kill Ichigo Kurosaki without Bankai.
Putting himself in his place, Ichigo Kurosaki felt that Captain-Commander Yamamoto's situation might not be much better than his own.
However, when Ichigo Kurosaki arrived at the First Division, he realized that he had underestimated Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
Even with his Bankai stolen by the enemy and turned against him, Captain-Commander Yamamoto was still fighting on equal footing through his formidable mastery of Zanjutsu.
At the very least, Ichigo Kurosaki knew that if he were in Captain-Commander Yamamoto's position, he absolutely could not have done as well.
However, when Yhwach unleashed a Bankai technique of Flowing Blade-like Fire, Ichigo Kurosaki knew it was time for him to step in.
Power on that level was simply not something Captain-Commander Yamamoto, without his Zanpakuto released, could contend with.
"Bankai—Tensa Zangetsu!"
After Captain-Commander Yamamoto evaded Yhwach's attack, Ichigo Kurosaki entered the battlefield between them and used his Zanpakuto to block Yhwach's Kyokujitsu-jin.
"Getsuga—Tensho!"
"Boom!"
Immense spiritual pressure erupted from the blade of Kyokujitsu-jin.
At the same time, Tensa Zangetsu's black spiritual pressure erupted from Ichigo