The Strongest

  Zaraki Kenpachi affiliated with TheSoulPantheonism. If you're strong, I wanna know you.  

[strongestshinigami]

Huh. Ya leave for a dozen years and when you come back, everyone is gone.

Guess that's the way of things.

[we-are-knight]

[strongestshinigami]

Sometimes the Dub of Bleach can crack me up. Rewatching Kenpachi’s fight with Tousen and Komamura like:

Komamura: You don’t seem surprised [at his appearance].

Kenpachi: Appearances don’t mean much; I just want to know if you’re as strong as a beast too!

Komamura: That’s your problem, Zaraki. You focus only on outward appearance, and have no respect for your opponent’s inner strength.

Kenpachi: ... Bitch did I stutter or something?

[waifubuki]

[strongestshinigami]

Early on the morning of 19th November, a soft, nondescript package would have been placed on the desk of the Captain of the Eleventh. Liberating its contents would unveil a simple bath towel. Further inspection would reveal that the four characters of Kenpachi's name had been stitched on one corner of towel and at its opposite end a discreet sprig of orange yarrow flowers had been embroidered in.

The accompanying note simply reads:

Captain Zaraki, sir,

Please accept this little something and forgive the uneven stitching. Here is wishing you many happy returns of the day. You are welcome to come sit with me at any time if you should ever want a bit of quiet.

With my best, Isane.

He was late returning from the rukongai, to nobodies surprise.

Kenpachi found the parcel on his desk, frowning a bit. It was customary for souls to receive gifts on their birthday, but that custom had rarely ever been extended to him. As he held it, he idly wondered what someone thought he might want. It felt too light to be sake.

Tearing open the package, he looked at the bath towel. Simple, yes, but large enough for him, which was already impressive. The small customizations caught his eye. Personalized for him, then.

The note caught his eye last. He read it with a still expression, grunting softly as he finished.

"Happy returns..." he muttered, his voice sardonic. But he folded the paper and put it neatly in the corner drawer of his desk. Then he picked up the towel and turned to walk to the bath house. After all, a useful gift deserved to be used.

Maybe, in time, he would accept the second part of the offer too.

[strongestshinigami]

soulst1c3​:

Friend in a Dead Land​

(As a disclaimer, this thread takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that is very dark, and may involve references to, discussions, or depictions of violence, gore, starvation, cannibalism, mutation, and other darker themes. If anyone else is reading this and is concerned about a triggering topic, please reach out before hand so we can let you know if it will appear in here. Stay safe, and thank you!)

_____________________________________________________

The bite in Kenpachi’s voice was impossible to miss. His words were brutal and cynical, and, to Jūshirō’s mind, intensely reductive.

“Is that so?” he replied, before he could stop himself. “And I suppose that applies to you, too, Zaraki?” Behind his respirator, Jūshirō’s jaw clenched. “I’m sorry,” he continued, “but good is a matter of perspective, and I refuse to believe that what I’m doing is unimportant.”

Still, talk of the past, however brief, brought a wan smile to Jūshirō’s lips. “We all have our talents,” he answered. “More than once, I thought you might shatter my wrist when I parried your blows.” Back when sparring meant something, and we weren’t always raising our weapons simply to survive another day. “I never had the strength or stamina for close combat that you do.”

Jūshirō couldn’t help the flash of pride he felt when Kenpachi asked about his rifles. He turned slightly sideways, so that Kenpachi could better see holstered weapons, which crisscrossed in their holster upon his back. “Silencers, for a start,” he said, “but my hand slipped when I was putting finishing touches on one of the barrels. So, rather than let a good gun go to waste, I changed the purpose! It still fires rapidly enough, but now, I load it with custom, non-lethal scattershot of my own design, and it throws up an excellent smokescreen! I added a thermal scope to the other, so while I’m hidden by a little shield of my own making, I can still attack at long range and with reasonable accuracy, even if I can’t actually see the enemy. My boys,” he concluded, shrugging his shoulders and turning to face Kenpachi front-on again, “have gotten me out of more than a few dangerous scrapes!”

Despite himself, Jūshirō was grinning now. Innovations like this – and especially ones that Jūshirō brought about with his own hands – never failed to excite him, even when their causes were grim.

The way Kenpachi asked his next question made Jūshirō click his tongue. “I’ve found survivors on several occasions,” he said darkly. “Your cynicism might just kill you before your monsters and mutants do, Zaraki. Careful there.”

Even so, Jūshirō didn’t feel the need to withhold information. Not from an old friend. “I triage in the field,” he said. “After that… it’s true that the going is often slow, but we move as quickly as we can to whatever settlement is closest. I try to stay on the move, because I want to help as many people as I can. I have at least one friend in nearly every settlement, I’d say. Some are new… but sometimes, old faces pop up when you least expect to see them.”

Here, he paused, cocking his head sideways and eyeing Kenpachi curiously.

“…do you like where you’re living, Zaraki?” he asked. “If you ever hoped to settle somewhere else… well. It’s been a long time, but… I believe I’d feel comfortable vouching for you.”

“Impressive,” Kenpachi rattled, looking at the weapons appraisingly. “Non-lethality aside, it sounds very effective. Suits you as well; you always did have a mind for strategy.”

The rest of Jūshirō’s words rattled off of him like the morning dew. His old friend had always been optimistic, a trait that Kenpachi was surprised hadn’t gotten him killed yet. If he wanted to believe there was anything other than greater and lesser monsters in the world, so be it. Reality would hit sooner or later. “I’ve got a hole carved out,” he answered instead, giving a half-shrug. “It’s an hour or so north. Don’t usually come down this far, but resources have been running a bit thin and I needed to see what I could find.” He paused, listening to the offer as he mulled it over. On a base level, it was tempting to have somewhere to live that wasn’t on the verge of being without food. Danger still screamed in the back of his head, and he stood for a long moment contemplating.

“I ain’t exactly good with people, Juu,” he finally said. “Not even before the world ended. You think having me around will be a good thing?”

[strongestshinigami]

jaegersol​:

“Twice?”

“Naw, I fight him all the time. You fuckin’ jealous? You fuckin’ want what I got?”

“This is fuckin’ bullshit. The kid barely sticks around when I ask him to fight.”

“You must not be as scary for him. Figures.”

[strongestshinigami]

jaegersol​:

“How many days of starvation would it take before you ate a person.”

“Four. Coulda gone longer, but the fucker challenged me and died quick. Wasn’t about to let that meat go to waste.”

[strongestshinigami]

mirokusaki​:

“Who, me? Just an admirer!” She waves a hand as if brushing off the comment, no matter, no matter!

“I’m the 12th division’s Zanpakutō specialist, so I’ve had a long time interest in following your career!”

“Did anyone ever tell you all in the 12th that you’re kinda creepy?”

“Must have been dull to watch. My zanpakuto’s been boring until recently. And what is the gift?”

[strongestshinigami]

43 - What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding? 55 - What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding? 57 - What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

43: What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

Kenpachi has had around 100 years to acclimate, so most of the things he used to misinterpret he's learned and either adjusted for or ignored. Originally, however, there were several. Gifts was a big one that he would often be wary of. In the higher districts, gifts were used as traps to get someone to 'owe' you, and justify taking something of theirs. You never accepted a gift unless you thought you could survive a fight with the gift-giver, and even then you never knew who they might bring to help their 'cause'.

55: What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

Sport hunting. He finds it incredibly boring, especially when the hunter stacks the odds in their favor. In his opinion the only reason to actively hunt something else is for food, or to experience a challenge of near-death. Sport hunting is the activity of cowards who don't know what actual combat is like in his opinion.

57: What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

You would not believe how many times he would fuck up that top bell in his hair, bending the spike and forcing himself to start over. Kenpachi is actually a fairly early riser; the reason he would show up late so often is that the morning routine of a very soapy bath along with trying to get all the spikes and bells in the right spot took a very, very long time.

Once he ditched the bells and spikes, the biggest is any kind of written document. Words and kanji can sometimes get mixed up for him, which leads to a lot of frustration and more mess-ups. It's why Yumichika does most of the paperwork for the squad.

[strongestshinigami]

Directions

I would label this as a headcanon, but it is actually canonical:

Kenpachi is not bad with directions.

That’s right. The fact that most RP’ers, fic writers, and even the filler arc writers have gotten wrong: Kenpachi is canonically fine with directions. At no point does he get ‘lost’ and not know where he is in canon.

So where did this come from?

In the invasion arc, Kenpachi is running around with Yachiru on his shoulders, who is shouting directions to him. But that’s odd, why would he do that if he knows where he is? 

Because he’s not trying to find a location, he’s trying to find Ichigo. Kenpachi cannot, at this point, detect spiritual pressure. So he relies on Yachiru, who swears she can sense Ichigo, to lead him to the kid. And of course, she can’t, because she’s just as bad at it as Kenpachi is, though that does not stop her from getting possessive and jealous when Orihime tries to do the same thing later on.

Okay, so he’s looking for Ichigo. That doesn’t mean he isn’t also lost, he ran into dead ends! 

Okay, yes, because again, she is telling him directions. He expected to see Ichigo around that corner, not an empty dead-end. But okay, let’s look at what happens when he gets some more information. Ikkaku tells Kenpachi more about Ichigo, his strength, and where he’s heading. That last one is the important part, because after learning this, Kenpachi cuts Ichigo off. Before this, he had no idea where Ichigo was going (to be fair, Ichigo was pretty lost himself) and was trying to find a constantly moving target with no GPS. But once he got confirmation of Ichigo’s destination, he was able to go straight there and wait where he knew Ichigo would pass by. This means that not only is he aware of the directions around his own district, but he’s aware of at least the notable routes to neighboring districts enough to predict and move fast enough to cut the kid off.

Well then why in the final chapter did he get lost on his way to the captain’s meeting, talking about no longer getting lost because Yachiru was no longer leading him wrong?

Kubo’s shitty writing.

Okay, okay, fine. First, he doesn’t get lost. In his own words, he ‘took the scenic route’. But really the reason is that Kubo at this point was actively sabotaging his characters, and writing them the opposite of what he always had. It’s why Uryuu became a doctor like his father, which he never wanted to do. Why Chad is a professional boxer despite swearing never to use his fists for self-gain. Why Aizen is waxing poetic on the topic of hope from his prison. Why Ichigo, despite learning of all the ways the Central 46 kept Soul Society dystopic and was actively damaging, chooses to leave the status quo and settle down with a family, with all the bad systems still in place. And why Kenpachi, in the single time he or anyone else references Yachiru after his bankai is realized, only says “She’s not around to lead me wrong anymore!” with a smile. The one person who was actually close to him, and all he gives is a flippant response about how it’s somehow better.

Fuck you, Kubo.

[strongestshinigami]

Qns from the Weirdly Specific meme: 41 and 56 out of curiosity. 24 for the laughs. It can be any titbit, not necessarily a biscuit/cookie.

41: What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

This is a good one.

There are some obvious answers. His name is literally the title of the person he practically worshipped, and his surname was simply the place he was from. A fun little tidbit, when he names Yachiru, you can see him writing in the sand, and it is not the 'correct' spelling. Rather, it is the phonetic spelling, indicating that while he understood basic language structure, he had only heard it spoken and never seen it spelled, so he was essentially sounding it out.

But the biggest one is: Kenpachi was never one to seek out battle before he became a captain. That was Yachiru Unohana's desire, and one that he adopted after his fight with her and subsequently chasing her. We know this because in Kenpachi's past, there is only one thing that you ever see him mention as something he truly desired: a name.

"Everyone had a name that friends used to call them. But I didn't. That pain..."

Being the strongest was never Kenpachi's desire before he decided to chase Unohana. It was simply having a name and friends to call him. Kenpachi's defining trait was loneliness, and when he finally found a friend in Yachiru, he imprinted on what Unohana had been after: being the strongest and seeking powerful opponents.

Also he still mispronounces "zanpakuto". Nobody knows if it's intentional or not, as no one is brave enough to ask.

56: If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

The only things that truly scare Kenpachi are things that could be a danger to Yachiru, and more existential fears like being alone again, or becoming too weak. The prior he does not trust a single person with and will not accept any comfort, harkening back to his refusal to show any vulnerability. The second would never be spoken, and rather than comfort he would look to distract himself with sake, fighting, or sleeping.

Have I mentioned how lonely this man is, or is undiagnosed depression?

24: Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

"... The fuck is a cookie?"

I mean... he literally stole his zanpakuto off of another shinigami's corpse. So I would say yes :P

[strongestshinigami]

@mirokusaki​ asks:  "Zaraki-taicho! Congratulations on achieving bankai! I have brought you a small gift."

“...”

“Who the hell are you?”

[strongestshinigami]

14,15, 20, and 22 for the Weirdly specific Qs meme! (i tried to pick tricky ones 😅)

14: How do they put out a candle?

He pinches the wick. Slowly.

15: What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

This actually touches on my biggest headcanon for Kenpachi's personality: the Kenpachi we see from the Invasion arc onward isn't his actual, true personality. It's one he has adopted after becoming a captain, based on how he was treated. The Gotei-13 yelled over and over that he was a monster, a demon, a brute, and a barbarian. So he became exactly what they labeled him, and laughed when they acted surprised.

The best analogy (credit to @medicineforthebrain) is that Kenpachi was a wild animal put into captivity, and then reacting to the heightened stress in ways it never would before. Much like the completely debunked study on wolf pack hierarchy, studying Kenpachi and his personality now gives inaccurate results as he is forced to react to things he never had before.

Kenpachi's true personality is what we see when he first meets Yachiru, and (in the anime) Ikkaku: still strong and somewhat arrogant, but calm, non-confrontational, and just kind of surviving. He still loves to fight, but he won't brashly go around chasing people to get it or act threateningly to them.

20: Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

Kenpachi gets along with Shunsui well enough as a person, but has a deep hatred for him as Captain Commander due to decisions made during the quincy war.

Byakuya is an extremely powerful individual who has Kenpachi's respect as a warrior. Unfortunately he's also an insufferable elitist fuckhead that Kenpachi would rather not be in the vicinity of.

22: What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Being vulnerable. Seems a bit strange, but it's true.

Vulnerability in the 80th district meant death. There was no place for trust, because you survived solely based on being either strong enough or useful enough so that killing you wouldn't be worth it. Kenpachi was strong, so strong that not even the most physically powerful captain of the newly-established Gotei-13 could defeat him. But because of that, he never, once, learned to show even a bit of vulnerability.

Now he sleeps in open view of his squad and other shinigami, not because he trusts them, but because they couldn't kill him if they tried. The very thought of surrendering his safety and security into the trust of someone else is so unthinkable to him that he'd never consciously consider it. Because deep down, beyond the conscious mind, the ego and superego, the idea scares him on a primal level.

To show vulnerability is to show weakness. To show weakness means death. That is one of the first truths Kenpachi learned, and one that will be with him forever.

[judasrpc]

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

[strongestshinigami]

jaegersol​:

“Oi, Shinigami!” Grimmjow returns with the exact same cadence, but that’s as far as he gets in his mimicry. He’s not sure what the question is yet.

“What d’ya want!?”

“I heard you got to fight Ichigo, twice!”

“How the hell did you do that??”

[strongestshinigami]

[I may have misunderstood at a base level how to play this “10 but” game. 

Oh well lol]