Recaps

Isane learned that Unohana was the First Kenpachi and intended to fight Zaraki, even though only one of them could survive. Shiraishi rejected Isane’s belief that Unohana’s resolve must be respected and proposed using his own looks to make her want to live.

• Isane told Shiraishi and Rangiku that Unohana planned to teach Zaraki kendo, and Shiraishi sent her to learn what was really happening.
• Shiraishi comforted Isane, and Rangiku teased him about his interest in her before they continued drinking.
• Isane returned and explained that Unohana had been the First Kenpachi and believed only one Kenpachi could exist in an era.
• Isane and Rangiku struggled with whether they could interfere with Unohana’s decision, while Shiraishi argued that they should stop her.
• Shiraishi said he would use a handsome-man scheme to make Unohana rediscover her desire to live.

Shiraishi told Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu a false plan involving a perfume and a date with Retsu Unohana, while secretly intending to use underhanded means to force a clash that would bring her to her senses. He visited Nemu Kurotsuchi to obtain a contraband perfume and learned it would have to be made after he secured an exception.

• Shiraishi asked Isane Kotetsu to pretend to cry and Rangiku Matsumoto to pay for a date and provide clothes as part of his cover story.
• Shiraishi used Steel Tempest to reach the Twelfth Division, broke its door after the entrance screen repeatedly told him to get lost, and waited for Nemu Kurotsuchi.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi greeted Shiraishi affectionately, and he asked her for a perfume that could slowly paralyze someone.
• Nemu recalled a perfume Hiyosu had developed that affected people regardless of their looks or Reiatsu, and Shiraishi said he wanted it to save Retsu Unohana.
• Nemu reported that none was in stock and that its contraband ingredient required restrictions to be eased, so Shiraishi told her to ask for a one-time exception and offered to pick Hiyosu up himself.

Shiraishi met Nemu Kurotsuchi at the Research and Development Institute, while Tsunayashiro Tokinada maneuvered Yushiro toward conflict with the Kuchiki Clan and planned to seize control of his own clan. Aura Michibane received Aizen’s message urging her to kill Tokinada, but destroyed it.

• Nemu Kurotsuchi told Shiraishi that Lord Mayuri had replaced her kidneys and stomach, and Shiraishi checked her abdomen before leaving for the Tenth Division barracks.
• Yushiro ordered the Gold Seal Unit to pursue Yūta Ishiyama and eliminate the Noble Revival Society, then asked Tsunayashiro Tokinada to investigate Ginjiro of the Kuchiki Clan.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada encouraged Yushiro to suspect the Kuchiki Clan and planned to forge Yushiro’s order to send the Gold Seal Unit against the 6th Division during the ancestral rites.
• Aura Michibane told Tokinada that Tsunayashiro Shinichi had delivered her a letter, and Tokinada dismissed it as a love letter.
• Aura Michibane read Aizen’s message telling her to kill Tsunayashiro Tokinada, then crumpled and destroyed the paper with her Reiatsu.

Shiraishi was asked to escort Nayura Amakado when she visited her detained brother, Ryū, while he arranged for Rangiku Matsumoto to collect contraband perfume for the Research and Development Institute. He left the escort for later and rested in the captain's office.

• Shiraishi lounged in the captain's office while Tōshirō Hitsugaya worked through the paperwork and Rangiku Matsumoto slept at her desk.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya gave Shiraishi an escort request from Nayura Amakado, who planned to visit her brother Ryū after the Second Division arrested him for treason.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya recommended that Shiraishi escort Nayura personally because the court's political situation made her safety a concern.
• Shiraishi woke Rangiku Matsumoto and told her to collect contraband goods from a supplier at the Blue Stream Gate and deliver them to Hiyosu or Nemu at the Research and Development Institute.
• Rangiku left to collect the goods, while Shiraishi returned to the sofa and Tōshirō Hitsugaya continued working.

Nayura Amakado left the Great Spirit Book Gallery and traveled toward the Second Division with Captain Shiraishi and Aura Michibane. Along the way, her curiosity about adult books led her to ask Aura to buy some for her.

• Nayura Amakado left the Great Spirit Book Gallery after the Punishment Force guards opened its defensive barriers.
• Nayura Amakado met Captain Shiraishi and Aura Michibane outside the gate, and the three set off for the Second Division.
• Shiraishi called Nayura a legal loli and explained that adult books were for adults.
• Nayura insisted she was qualified to read adult books and asked Shiraishi where to buy them, but he said he did not know.
• Nayura asked Aura to buy adult books for her, and Aura agreed.

Shiraishi escorted Nayura Amakado and Aura Michibane to the Maggot's Nest, where Nayura visited her brother. After returning to the Tenth Division, Shiraishi learned that Matsumoto had been arrested for smuggling and hurried to the Second Division to help her.

• Nayura Amakado went alone across the suspension bridge to visit someone in the Maggot's Nest while Shiraishi waited with Aura Michibane.
• Shiraishi tried to persuade Aura Michibane to leave Tsunayashiro Tokinada and join the Tenth Division, but she questioned why he considered Tokinada a bad person.
• Nayura Amakado returned from the visit in tears, and Shiraishi remarked that family ties were hard to sever.
• Nayura Amakado asked Shiraishi to buy her adult books before she and Aura Michibane departed.
• Shiraishi returned to the Tenth Division and learned from Tōshirō Hitsugaya that Matsumoto had been arrested by the Stealth Force for smuggling contraband.
• Shiraishi assured Tōshirō Hitsugaya that Matsumoto had acted on his orders, then raced to the Second Division.

Soi Fon detained Rangiku Matsumoto for smuggling contraband and confronted Shiraishi, who asked her to release his subordinate. Their exchange turned flirtatious, and Soi Fon let Matsumoto go before deciding to investigate Shiraishi’s unexplained reasons and await Ōmaeda’s report.

• The Second Division Patrol Corps caught Rangiku Matsumoto transporting contraband and brought her to Soi Fon’s prison.
• Soi Fon accused Shiraishi of making Matsumoto smuggle goods, but he asked her to trust him and let Matsumoto go.
• Soi Fon demanded that Shiraishi clean tea from her foot with his tongue, and he eagerly tried to do so.
• Shiraishi approached Soi Fon, who pushed him away and ordered him to release Matsumoto before fleeing to cool her face.
• Soi Fon returned to the prison and learned Shiraishi had already taken Matsumoto away with her approval.
• Soi Fon decided to look into Shiraishi’s secret and wait for Ōmaeda’s report on the Shihoin and Kuchiki Clans.

Shiraishi brought Rangiku Matsumoto back to the Tenth Division after arranging a delayed perfume delivery, then Hitsugaya woke from a nap and discovered Shiraishi had approved a summer festival proposal despite the division’s empty budget.

• Shiraishi collected the contraband from Hiyosu, who rescheduled the perfume delivery for September second after Shiraishi objected to the delay.
• Shiraishi and Rangiku Matsumoto returned to the Tenth Division, where Hitsugaya asked how they had persuaded Soi Fon to release them.
• Shiraishi claimed Soi Fon had let them go because she owed Unohana a life, while Rangiku Matsumoto explained what had happened.
• Hitsugaya went for a nap and dreamed about spending summer with Momo Hinamori in Rukongai.
• Hitsugaya woke at three forty and found Shiraishi and Rangiku Matsumoto working in the office.
• Hitsugaya discovered Shiraishi had approved a summer festival proposal and roared when he realized the Tenth Division could not afford it.

Aizen completed a Hōgyoku by fusing two versions with a Soul King Fragment and used it to transform the Espada and their subordinates into Arrancars. He declared that war with the Shinigami was approaching and began preparing the Hollows for battle.

• Aizen used his research and Genjirō's formula to fuse the two Hōgyoku with a Soul King Fragment in his Las Noches laboratory.
• Aizen claimed his Hōgyoku surpassed Kisuke Urahara's and ordered Nelliel to summon the Espada and their subordinates.
• Aizen summoned Grimmjow first and used the Hōgyoku to transform him into an Arrancar after his Reiatsu forced Grimmjow to crouch.
• Aizen transformed the other Espada and their subordinates into Arrancars, then announced that war with the Shinigami was near.
• Aizen ordered Nelliel and Tier Harribel to gather more Hollows while the other Espada remained in their palaces.

Retsu Unohana agreed to go on a date with Shiraishi after Isane asked her to reconsider her decision to teach Zaraki swordsmanship. Shiraishi prepared to use a perfume to change her mind, though Isane remained uneasy about the plan.

• Retsu Unohana reflected on her coming battle with Zaraki and noticed that Isane had been grieving over her decision.
• Isane asked Retsu Unohana to go on a date with Shiraishi, and Retsu agreed after Isane promised to stop crying.
• Retsu Unohana invited Isane to dinner and reassured her before they parted.
• Isane went to the Tenth Division and told Shiraishi, Rangiku, and Nemu that Retsu had agreed to the date.
• Shiraishi promised to use Nemu's perfume to win Retsu over, while Isane remained doubtful and Nemu leaned against Shiraishi for comfort.

Shiraishi prepared for his date with Retsu Unohana, reassured Isane Kotetsu that he would keep his promise, and set out with perfume meant to help his plan succeed. Isane and Nemu Kurotsuchi remained behind anxiously awaiting news.

• Isane Kotetsu woke Shiraishi before dawn and repeatedly asked whether he would be all right.
• Shiraishi reassured Isane that he and Rangiku Matsumoto had done everything they could, then dressed in the blue-and-white kimono Rangiku had chosen.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi arrived with breakfast and perfume, warning Shiraishi that one spray would be enough.
• Shiraishi ate breakfast, took his Zanpakuto, and left using Steel Tempest to meet Retsu Unohana.

Shiraishi took Retsu Unohana on a scenic date in Seireitei, where they walked hand in hand and teased each other about perfume and poison. Unohana left him wondering whether she had actually drugged him.

• Shiraishi chose the northern part of the Thirteenth District for his date with Unohana and waited for her among the mountains.
• Unohana arrived, saw through Shiraishi’s excuse for waiting and perfume, then accepted his invitation to walk hand in hand.
• As they enjoyed the scenery, Shiraishi asked Unohana to recommend other places in Seireitei for them to visit.
• Unohana warned Shiraishi about drugging people and revealed that someone who tried it on her hundreds of years ago had died.
• Unohana hinted that she might have drugged Shiraishi, leaving him unsure whether her herbal scent and warning were a joke.

Shiraishi’s date with Retsu Unohana ended with a teasing kiss that left him feverish after she secretly gave him eight-leaf grass. Back at the Tenth Division, he recovered while reassuring Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu that his plan to stop Unohana was still on track.

• At sunset, Retsu Unohana kissed Shiraishi on the cheek, teased him, and left using Shunpo.
• Shiraishi returned to the Tenth Division and collapsed with a fever as Rangiku Matsumoto and Nemu Kurotsuchi served dinner.
• Shiraishi told Rangiku Matsumoto that his Bankai had advanced and that he could stop Unohana even if the perfume failed.
• Isane Kotetsu identified the fever as a reaction to eight-leaf grass, and Shiraishi realized the kiss had triggered it.
• After waking, Shiraishi reassured the tearful Isane Kotetsu that his plan had not failed, then let her sleep in his bed while he rested beside it.

Shiraishi met Retsu Unohana in District Seven and challenged her plan to die in battle against Zaraki. Unohana asked Shiraishi to treat Isane well, but she insisted Zaraki needed to face her at her strongest.

• Nemu Kurotsuchi brought Shiraishi breakfast and kissed his cheek before leaving, while Isane Kotetsu slept in his bed.
• Shiraishi traveled to a waterfall in District Seven to meet Retsu Unohana.
• Shiraishi teased Retsu Unohana by telling her Isane was still in his bed, and her killing intent filled the mountain.
• Retsu Unohana admitted she cared about Isane and asked Shiraishi to treat her well.
• Shiraishi urged Retsu Unohana not to die fighting Zaraki, but she said he had never seen Zaraki's true strength.
• Retsu Unohana changed the subject, and Shiraishi took her hand as they walked up the mountain.

Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana encountered Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto while walking in the mountains, where he was making tea on his day off. Yamamoto revealed that Seireitei faced a growing internal crisis involving accusations of treason among its noble clans and forces, but he chose to wait for now.

• Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana reached a house by a waterfall and found Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto making matcha.
• Yamamoto mistook their clasped hands for a romantic relationship, but Retsu released Shiraishi's hand and denied it.
• Yamamoto explained that he had come to the mountain for peace and quiet amid several troubling matters.
• Yamamoto recalled that the Gold Seal Unit accused the Kuchiki Clan of conspiring with Kaoru Tendō, while Byakuya Kuchiki accused Yushiro of plotting rebellion.
• Yamamoto noted that Soi Fon suspected the Purgatory Trading Company of colluding with the enemy, leaving the nobles and Stealth Force embroiled in mutual accusations.
• Yamamoto decided not to assign Shiraishi to investigate and chose to wait for Shunsui Kyōraku to return from the operation against Oniyasha.

After the 6th Division lieutenant Ginjiro was murdered, Shiraishi arrived at the scene and tried to keep Byakuya from acting on his suspicions. Byakuya took Ginjiro’s body away to handle the matter himself, while Shiraishi turned to Rangiku for more information.

• Rangiku Matsumoto reported Ginjiro’s death to Shiraishi during his date with Retsu Unohana, and Shiraishi hurried to District 6.
• Shiraishi found Ginjiro’s body pinned to a watchtower and Byakuya Kuchiki overwhelming nearby Tenth Division members with his Reiatsu.
• Shiraishi warned Byakuya not to mistake assumptions for the truth and urged him to let the Tenth Division investigate.
• Byakuya declared that avenging Ginjiro was his duty, then took the body and left the scene.
• Shiraishi brought water to the exhausted division members, spoke with Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and went to find Rangiku for details.

Shiraishi sought information about the conflict between the Shihoin Clan and the Kuchiki Clan while Rangiku Matsumoto reported Ginjiro’s situation. Nayura Amakado warned Shiraishi not to meddle, leaving him without the information he wanted.

• Rangiku Matsumoto told Shiraishi that Byakuya wanted revenge and that the Shihoin Clan and the Kuchiki Clan were in conflict.
• Shiraishi asked Rangiku Matsumoto to report Ginjiro’s situation to Captain-Commander Yamamoto while he sought help from a noble.
• Sōya Azashiro refused to reveal who killed Ginjiro and said they could invade Hueco Mundo after Mayuri Kurotsuchi had ten thousand Modified Souls, likely in another month or two.
• Shiraishi went to the Central 46 Chambers and encountered Nayura Amakado, who confronted him about the books he had recommended.
• Shiraishi asked Nayura Amakado about the conflict between the Shihoin Clan and the Kuchiki Clan, and she advised him not to meddle.

After Ginjiro was murdered and his body was displayed as a provocation, Byakuya Kuchiki attacked the Shihoin Clan residence. Shiraishi stopped the confrontation and took Byakuya into custody for an investigation, while Tsunayashiro Tokinada challenged the Tenth Division’s authority.

• Shiraishi told Nayura Amakado that Ginjiro had been murdered and that Byakuya Kuchiki had taken the body, and Nayura warned that the nobles would treat the killing as a declaration of war.
• Byakuya Kuchiki blasted his way into the Shihoin Clan residence and attacked Yushiro with Senka and Byakurai.
• Aura Michibane restrained Byakuya with threads as Tsunayashiro Tokinada arrived and condemned his attack on the Shihoin Clan head.
• Shiraishi intervened, ordering Byakuya to return with the Tenth Division for questioning about Ginjiro’s death and the attack.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada insisted the Gold Seal Unit should handle the noble’s death, but Shiraishi asserted the Tenth Division’s jurisdiction and took Byakuya into custody.

Shiraishi brought Byakuya Kuchiki to the Tenth Division and placed him in a cell after Aura Michibane’s crude advances and the confrontation with Tsunayashiro Tokinada. Tokinada hid his wound and anticipated the ancestral rites the next day, while Byakuya waited for the person behind the dispute between the Shihoin and Kuchiki Clans to act.

• Aura Michibane tried to pull down Shiraishi’s pants to test whether he desired her, and Shiraishi stopped her and ordered Byakuya Kuchiki to come with him.
• Byakuya Kuchiki left with Shiraishi, while Yushiro accused the Kuchiki Clan of sacrificing Ginjiro to evade blame for his death.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada claimed Byakuya had ambushed and wounded him, then told Aura Michibane that the next day’s ancestral rites would be interesting.
• Shiraishi escorted Byakuya to the Tenth Division barracks, where Byakuya entered a cell and waited for the person behind the clan dispute to make another move.

Soi Fon tracked Yūta Ishiyama to a valley, where she discovered Kaoru Tendō and was ambushed by Oniyasha. Kaoru defeated Soi Fon but spared her, intending to face her again after the coming upheaval.

• Soi Fon followed Yūta Ishiyama to a secluded valley and spotted Kaoru Tendō, then tried to withdraw and call for backup.
• Oniyasha surprised Soi Fon, and Kaoru revealed that he had been working with her and that the Oniyasha seen in East Rukongai had been a clone.
• Soi Fon challenged Kaoru and demonstrated a new technique that combined Kidō with Hakuda.
• Kaoru neutralized Soi Fon's attack with Hanki Sōsai, struck her abdomen, and knocked her unconscious.
• Kaoru spared Soi Fon for a future confrontation and carried her out of the woods.

Retsu Unohana prepared to face Kenpachi Zaraki in Muken, while Zaraki’s division gathered to see him off. Shiraishi intercepted Zaraki on his way and asked to talk, leaving the fight’s start uncertain.

• Retsu Unohana kissed Isane goodbye and went down to Muken to await her opponent.
• The members of the 11th Division asked to watch Zaraki’s fight, but he refused and left after Yachiru Kusajishi wished him luck.
• Yumichika Ayasegawa revealed that Retsu Unohana was the First Kenpachi, Yachiru Unohana, and Zaraki confirmed it.
• Zaraki took a wrong route toward Senzaikyū, smashed through a wall, and ran into Shiraishi, who stopped him to talk.

Shiraishi entered Muken to take Kenpachi Zaraki’s place in Retsu Unohana’s planned battle, carrying a genuine order from Yamamoto. After Unohana attacked him, Shiraishi released his Bankai, revealing a Hollow-like form and demonstrating his rapid reactions and ability to recover from fatal wounds.

• Retsu Unohana recalled her past as the Dead Sword, her battles with Yamamoto, and how she joined the Gotei 13.
• Shiraishi told Unohana that Zaraki had returned to the 11th Division and showed her Yamamoto’s order authorizing him to fight in Zaraki’s place.
• Unohana attacked Shiraishi with her sword and concealed sleeve blade, while he used Steel Tempest to evade her strikes.
• Shiraishi released Bankai, Crimson Moon, and Unohana recognized the Reiatsu and appearance as Hollow-like.
• Unohana stabbed and slashed Shiraishi, but his wounds healed and forced her sleeve blades out of his body.

Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana fought fiercely in Muken, with her Bankai pushing their duel into an exhausting battle of blades and techniques. As they paused to trade taunts, Unohana agreed that Shiraishi could do whatever he wanted if he defeated her.

• Retsu Unohana tried to retreat and activate Bankai, but Shiraishi pressed her with Steel Tempest and a Cero, forcing her to dodge.
• Shiraishi fired repeated Ceros at Unohana, interrupting her attempt to use Bankai until she released Minazuki.
• Shiraishi unleashed Last Breath, but Unohana used the tornado's force to evade it and counterattack.
• Unohana fought Shiraishi with varied sword styles while his Hollowfied body and High-Speed Regeneration helped him endure her repeated fatal blows.
• Shiraishi asked whether Unohana was satisfied, and she said she was not before challenging him about being worn out.
• Shiraishi boasted that he could defeat her, and Unohana promised he could do whatever he wanted if he won.

Shiraishi used Hiyosu’s perfume and his exposed body to disrupt Retsu Unohana during their fight, then defeated her with Steel Tempest. The chapter ended with Unohana turning the tables and pinning Shiraishi down.

• Shiraishi released Blood Moon's Bankai, removed his Captain's Haori and Shihakushō top, and showed off his muscles to trigger the perfume’s effects on Retsu Unohana.
• Retsu Unohana realized the perfume was affecting her, but refused to surrender and attacked Shiraishi with her sword.
• Shiraishi used Steel Tempest to pass through Retsu Unohana, then grabbed her sword hand and caused her to drop her weapon.
• Retsu Unohana agreed that she had lost, but suddenly erupted and shoved Shiraishi to the ground.

Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana fought passionately in Muken, and she insisted on continuing even after healing their injuries. At the Tsunayashiro Clan gathering, Tokinada secretly replaced a report before sending it to the Gold Seal Unit.

• Retsu Unohana healed her and Shiraishi’s bite wounds after their battle, then refused to let him leave while the perfume remained effective.
• Shiraishi argued that they should return before Isane waited too long, but Retsu Unohana said she would punish him for acting against her wishes.
• Shiraishi decided to fight back, and a fourth round began in Muken.
• Yushiro Shihōin arrived at the Tsunayashiro Clan gathering and signed a document Tokinada presented as the report on Ginjiro.
• Tokinada revealed that the document’s surface had concealed its true contents, then gave it to Kiyama to deliver to Fifth Seat Uchida of the Gold Seal Unit.