Harotaissen Tsuribakki: Pt. 1

Name: Harotaissen Tsuribakki

Nickname(s): The Bound Titan; the Steel-Bringer; the Repentant; the Peaceful One

Age: 1138

Height: 18’10”

Sex: Male

Sexual Preference: Asexual

Species: Shinigami

Alliance: 1st Division Captain-Commander



History: Captain-Commander Harotaissen Tsuribakki, the most powerful man in Soul Society and uncontested leader of the prestigious Gotei 13, was born to one of the four noble houses with an overwhelming abundance of spiritual energy just barely contained within his infantile body. It was prophesied that he was the reincarnation, however many times over, of the first Shinigami to emerge in the ancient realm of Soul Society—that his spirit had been tempered through countless lives lived as the hero that changed the course of history for the better. Some believe that the seed within his soul has passed through the bodies of the most well-known figures of the Shinigami, gathering talent and experience that it shared through the threads of reincarnation. Whether or not this assumption is true has been the subject of speculation by the greatest minds of the past millennium. None of them have found definitive proof leading to any satisfactory conclusion, even with the monetary backing and vested interest of Central 46. Most laymen believe the prophecy, claiming his power, Zanpakutō, and current position to be evidence enough of its truth. The average soul sees the man as the paragon of what it is to be a Shinigami.

Like all souls who find themselves able to expend great amounts of spiritual energy through natural talent, Tsuribakki quickly developed a need to consume food—not just water, which all Pluses require—during his youth. He also developed a powerful will that drove him to explore his inner nature through ravenous consumption. The hunger that plagued the future Captain-Commander was insatiable. His vast stores of Reiryoku fueled this endless gluttony and caused him to consume his weight in food every day for decades, which, in turn, explains how he grew to his ludicrous height of eighteen feet. His birth to a one of the four noble houses and the wealth of his parents afforded him the feasts he craved. Although Tsuribakki no longer has to eat such tremendous quantities—his energy replenishment has become far more efficient over the centuries—due to temperance and training, he still finds himself plenty capable of devouring up to eight tons of consumables in a single day, an amount roughly equal to his body weight. Only the four gate guardians of the Seireitei are as large as he is, and they all suffered through that hunger. Their strength, however, is nowhere near the same.

By his adolescence, Tsuribakki was a titan in more ways than one. His spiritual power and physical strength had begun to surpass most seated Shinigami. Knowing that his destiny lay within the arms of the military, the Harotaissen Clan admitted him to the Shinō Academy, where he thrived as an invulnerable god. His brute strength was leagues above his peers. Combined with his nobility, this overwhelming power began to breed in him a sense of superiority that carried with him into the martially-oriented 11th Division. Tsuribakki was simply too strong. Whether on the field of battle or in the division arenas used for advancement, the man known as the Steel-Bringer tore through his opponents like tissue paper, utterly without challenge and ever-reinforced in his growing belief that he was the supreme combatant of Soul Society. In short order, he defeated the Kenpachi of the time and took their title; he proved himself right.

For a time, the Steel-Bringer ravaged the fields of war as the Kenpachi. His ego and sense of superiority had transformed into unfettered rage, unleashed upon the enemies of Soul Society in some of the bloodiest battles of history. Though he fought for the side of balance, other Captains of the era grew concerned with his trajectory. When the former Captain-Commander stepped down, abdicating their position at the end of a great war with Hueco Mundo, Central 46 elected that Tsuribakki, the Steel-Bringer, was best suited to lead the Gotei 13. There was an outcry. Many believed him to be a violent monster, a weapon, far from a commander who could rally forces and lead by example. Tsuribakki’s ego only grew in the first few decades of the new position. Then, curiously, he shifted radically towards self-reflection and adopted a vow of peace that has lasted for five centuries. It is believed that the Spirit King’s wisdom, combined with the guidance of the God-spirit Chūsei, brought Tsuribakki to an epiphany, tempering his mental and emotional steel. It was a growth that may well have been impossible without his ascension to Captain-Commander, once again pointing the dial towards the forces of destiny.

As Captain-Commander, Tsuribakki has managed to transform a military complex quick to wage its endless wars into a finely-tuned organization more aligned with prevention and policing. Though wars have been fought in the five centuries since his ascension, they have been far smaller, declared with an achievable end-goal in sight. The fight to preserve the balance of life and death is one that has no end. The Hollow will always exist, as will Hueco Mundo. With the advent of Barracuda Marracruz’s organized, renaissance-like society, Tsuribakki has recognized that open war would do little more than cripple both worlds, leaving Soul Society unable to regulate the human world. This has created a cold war situation, with both sides avoiding outright conflict in order to prevent mutually-assured destruction. Instead, Tsuribakki continues to guide the Gotei 13 towards protecting human life and the continual flow of spiritual energy, ever-ready to defend against any force that would choose to threaten the universe that he now protects.

Personality: Harotaissen Tsuribakki's tale of psychological development can only be understood with knowledge of his former station: he was once the Kenpachi of the 11th Division, a name given to the sharpest and deadliest instrument of Soul Society. This title inherently brought with it extreme scenes of carnage and violence, but Tsuribakki reveled in them like a god of battle, and his violent strength pummeled innumerable foes into dust and bloodstained dirt, earning him the name Steel-Bringer. Everything about him played to the concept of his position: his titan-like size, his suffocating spiritual power, and a violent disposition crafted from pride and invulnerability were the perfect ingredients to cast a black shadow of fear over those who met him on the field of battle.

Previously—at least to him—the world was balanced on the thin tip of a sword; life included little of worth outside of his noble house and those who wished to face him on the field of battle. But as he dealt with the problems of representing all of Soul Society and the responsibility of commanding the massive armies of the Gotei 13, he began to realize that his actions had consequences far beyond the scope of his limited vision, and that pain and suffering were both transcendent and repetitive. He also gained knowledge of the Spirit King, an entity whose true existence was known only to a select few. It was his Zanpakutō, Chūsei, that gave Tsuribakki the final push towards this epiphany. It had been slowly guiding him towards it for hundreds of years, planting small words of wisdom into his mind during their long meditative conversations. This realization shifted his philosophy on life in such a dramatic way that it unleashed a flood of guilt, forcing him to face the horrible truths of his violent days as the Kenpachi. Although he had never committed any direct crimes according to the laws of Soul Society, he had killed countless Shinigami who fought for his position, and he was quick to defeat his wartime opponents without care for capture, diplomacy, or surrender.

It took a somewhat sudden and certainly surprising act to prove to the rest of Soul Society that he had really changed. Nearly half a century after ascending to the position of Captain-Commander, Tsuribakki took a public vow of peace that remains active to this day, almost five hundred years later. Although he continues to train extensively to keep his abilities sharp, his promise runs so deep in his psyche that he refuses to spar; he insists that even such understandable, mock-violence is now a forbidden fruit to him, and that his Zanpakutō will only take flight again if Soul Society has no better means of defense. This black-and-white policy takes incredible discipline, and each passing year forges the metal of his resolve into a stronger shell.

With this change came a level of wisdom and understanding that had been hidden within him his entire life. Tsuribakki's self-defiance—his forced suppression of his former nature—lets him view situations from the same perspective as a reformed criminal who found purpose through introspection. He can relate to almost every viewpoint objectively and can quickly place it into the grander scheme of things as though he were a sage, and those who know his past understand that, unlike a false wise-man, his words come from a Shinigami who knows what it is to be utterly fallible. It is that fact that makes his advice so sought after. This is especially true for those who suffer from violent tendencies. This area, above all others, is where Tsuribakki's understanding can do the most good. Many career criminals have been taken before the giant and found themselves set on a path towards reformation. There are more than a few Shinigami in the 1st Division who owe their lives to the man.

Despite his notable change and his progress towards true wisdom and harmony, Tsuribakki is still plagued by his past and the pain that he has caused on the battlefield. With his introspection came a high level of acceptance, but it has not reached total forgiveness, and many of his actions are still deeply rooted in his want to atone for the moral crimes he once committed. Much of his time is now spent in meditation, where Chūsei, who represents the absolute wisdom and temperance he has always been capable of, assists him in his quest for exoneration. To the outside world, Tsuribakki stands as a model for what it is to be a Shinigami: responsibility, wisdom, drive, experience, and awareness of one's place in the universe.

Equipment:

Weighted Earrings: Although they do not have a specific name to define them or their function, Tsuribakki is never seen without two to six weighted charms dangling from each of his ears. These charms, which are deceptively heavy at five hundred pounds each, are normally used for meditative purposes. They increase pain tolerance and facilitate constant physical awareness by balancing his head. In battle, however, they can become simplistic but deadly weapons. Combined with Tsuribakki's epic strength and the momentum of a skilled throw, one of these charms can carry a force capable of tearing a sizable chunk out of a mountaintop, leaving boulders and debris scattered across the cliffs like broken glass. The durability of the earrings can be attributed to their design; each is made from a mixture of gold and Sekkiseki, the same Reiryoku-canceling material which composes the walls of the Seireitei. Their spiritually limiting property is another function useful in Tsuribakki's meditations.

Binding Spirit Cloth: Another object that has no specific name or classification, the cloth that wraps itself around Chūsei, Tsuribakki's Zanpakutō, has special properties that sets it apart from any simple fabric. Through specific design, the long lengths of material that make up the bindings can actually fuse with the spiritual structures of different Zanpakutō, making it incredibly difficult to remove without using tremendous amounts of force. The act of removing the cloth from a Zanpakutō takes the same level of strength as ripping the side off of a building, leaving Captain-class and stronger Lieutenant-class individuals as the only ones capable of freeing a sword from its trappings should it get caught within the symbolic white material—it represents his vow of peace. Although Tsuribakki can certainly use the long lengths of fabric to disarm opponents, he generally prefers its utility as a convenient Zanpakutō covering to its martial applications. Relative to his strength, removing it only takes a simple tug.

Abilities:

Zanjutsu Master: Despite his vow of peace and his well-known mastery of the somewhat opposing skills of Hakuda, Tsuribakki is widely considered one of the most artistically capable swordsmen, able to match blades with those who have dedicated their active lives to the perfection of their technique. His personal repertoire involves equal parts experience and power, but his massive size makes his fighting style relatively straightforward, or so it seems to those he wishes to fool. Most opponents expect Chūsei, his Zanpakutō, to be far too bulky to deftly manipulate, and Tsuribakki was often known to lull his opponents into this false sense of security by using wide-arc slashes and clumsy attacks that focused entirely on raw power. The truth, meanwhile, is that the Captain-Commander has as much delicate control over the positioning of his blade as a Zanjutsu master one-fourth his size; a common idiom eludes to his ability to thread a needle with the corner of his Zanpakutō. Many opponents fell to the fine control of his weapon during his days as the Kenpachi, falsely assuming that he was incapable of redirecting his strikes after they had begun. What they found was a swordsman specialist with the power of a giant and the control of an artist. Because of this, Tsuribakki holds an immense level of respect for Captain Okada, whom he believes to be the greatest swordsman he has ever met, and far his superior in skill.

• The Oar that Rows Towards Salvation: A dangerous Zanjutsu technique that requires a truly mammoth weapon and tremendous spiritual power, The Oar that Rows Towards Salvation begins with Tsuribakki swinging his Zanpakutō like an oar, with the broad, flat side bracing against the atmosphere. Threads of visible Reiatsu—in his case, white-tinted energy—trail behind the weapon and filter off into the massive vacuum created in the wake of the rapid movement. This void is produced so quickly that the air does not have time to collapse back in on itself until a full one-hundred-eighty-degree arc has been completed. Once it has, the atmosphere instantly refills the empty space with outstanding speed, backed by the incredible infusion of power that the Captain-Commander's Reiatsu brings. The result is a concussive expansion of energy that spills forward with the appearance and subtlety of a white tidal wave, disintegrating whatever stands in its way until all of its power is expended. This technique is strong enough to single-handedly level a few city blocks without causing Tsuribakki any visible stress or wear.

Hakuda Master: Harotaissen Tsuribakki's skills in the arts of Hakuda are legendary. He is able to combine his titan-like strength, enormous frame, and incredible endurance to theoretically stand toe-to-toe with the fictitious Olympians without fear of being physically overpowered. A famous story from his days as the Kenpachi sets a scene of him effortlessly fighting his way through a field of a hundred Gillian-class Menos with his bare hands, defeating each with a single punch to the torso so strong that it vaporized them almost instantly. So great are his skills with unarmed combat that he functions inversely to the normal pattern of battle; while most Shinigami only start with Hakuda—they switch to Zanjutsu when the situation becomes dire—Tsuribakki does the opposite, choosing to sheathe his Zanpakutō only once an opponent has proved themselves too powerful for his blade to defeat in its sealed form. This is similar to the practices of the Grandmaster of Hakuda, Captain Unabara, who holds his title due to his exhaustive focus and martial precision. Tsuribakki's personal repertoire of styles is more than Captain Unabara's rival, however. He has been shown to have a masterful understanding of numerous human schools, such as (but in no way limited to) Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and even Krav Maga, although his use for grappling is negligible due to his size. Only opponents to the scale of Menos Grande are large enough for him to consider using Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Constant training in harsh conditions keeps him equally versed in each of the arts, and he focuses a good deal of effort on making sure that no particular style becomes weaker than the others. By combining and altering the techniques of these various forms to affect the spiritual races, Tsuribakki can function remarkably well in any combat situation.

• Cut Through, Thoroughly: By concentrating a tremendous amount of Reiatsu into the tip of his elbow, Tsuribakki can launch a vicious horizontal swipe that is capable of bifurcating any objects in its path with pure cutting force, trimming the skyline of a city as if the buildings were blades of silver grass. This technique—Cut Through, Thoroughly—is powerful enough to reach past the point of contact and continue in a flat, invisible wave of destruction until the energy backing it has been expended; it has the capability of continuing for several miles before dispersing harmlessly into the atmosphere. Although it is possible for elite individuals to weather the storm with enough warning and spiritual power, the elbow poses incredible risk of injury, and damage should be avoided by moving out its way entirely. Since the attack functions as a wide horizontal slash, this is best done by moving vertically.

• Movement to Contact: The Movement to Contact is a Hakuda technique that relies on misconception to completely overwhelm and obliterate an opponent. By limiting the strength behind a normal strike (a kick, straight punch, etc.) to a fraction of its potential power, Tsuribakki allows the opponent to sense the lack of danger and block the attack with relative ease. Then, once contact has been established and a moment has passed, the Movement to Contact is activated and a massive flood of spiritual power backs a movement of no more than a centimeter. This slight continuation of the previous attack, while subtle, is dealt with enough force to completely obliterate whatever it touches. It has been known to shatter buildings into dust, making it appear as if the user had lightly tapped the structure (to no effect), only for it to disintegrate a moment later. The technique has often been called the ‘after-strike’.

• Buddha's Ashes: Through the application of finely controlled spiritual energy, Tsuribakki can coat his cranium in a thick layer of protection capable of taking a direct hit from a Captain-class Zanpakutō without the risk of being wounded. The Buddha’s Ashes is an attack drawn from the human martial art of Testa that uses this kind of spiritual defense to allow for a devastatingly powerful headbutt. Because of the height difference between Tsuribakki and the majority of his foes, this attack often ends up appearing like some sort of rapid bow—the upper half of his body is commonly bent quite low, as if to appease to the victim's soon departed spirit. The sheer weight of his head and the force of the attack can cause a crater to appear beneath the target, or it may simply slam them directly into the ground. If performed against an airborne opponent, the Buddha’s Ashes is capable of launching an individual towards land with enough force to pass through several fortified buildings along the way.

• Fissure Kick: Widely considered the most beautifully efficient, powerful technique in Soul Society, let alone in the forms of Hakuda, this particular attack lends itself to Tsuribakki's studies of human martial arts: Taekwando, Karate, and Kickboxing are the roots of its mythical conception. A form of 'axe kick', the Fissure Kick begins with a stunning example of flexibility. Despite his mammoth size, Tsuribakki is able to lift his fully extended leg high above his head like an executioner's blade, almost perpendicular to the ground. He then slams his foot back downward in a half-moon arc, absolutely annihilating anything in its path and pounding even the strongest Captain-class combatants into oblivion should they fail to dodge in time. Those who escape the immediate threat, however, find that the after-effect of the impact is where the true danger lies. The energy released when the Fissure Kick hits the ground is enough to cause an earthquake so powerful that it could level an entire city in seconds, snapping a tectonic plate in half. Even if the technique is used in the air, the shock-wave will continue to the ground and create a similar seismic result. The damage created by the kick, if used during Tsuribakki's Bankai form, would be enough to cause an extinction level event. As such, it is the absolute last resort in his arsenal, and is forbidden (by Central 46) to be used in any situation where it may irreparably harm either the world of the living or Soul Society.

Shunpo Expert: Although his immense weight limits his ability to move swiftly using spiritual power, Tsuribakki is significantly faster with Shunpo than many might imagine from seeing his proportions. The more proficient Captain-class Shinigami might be able to outperform him with relative ease, but his talents are more than adequate to transport him over great distances in a very short amount of time, which is often his intention. Outside of Shunpo, however, his long legs, massive strength, and broad gait grant him the ability to move quickly without expending spiritual power, far faster than smaller Shinigami or even some Shunpo users. This allows him to stay rather maneuverable in combat despite a lack of mastery over the technique. In comparison to most Lieutenant-class individuals, Tsuribakki is nothing more than a blur while using Shunpo, but with the difference of power between himself and their rank, it should be expected. He rarely finds a need to use this technique in combat due to his excessive capabilities in straightforward fighting, but when he does, his proficiency is more than good enough to give him the advantage he needs.

Kidō Master: The mystical arts of Kidō, while notoriously underutilized by members of the 11th Division, was a subject of great interest to Tsuribakki once his vow of peace was taken. The meditation practices tied to the study of various spells were used as metaphysical focuses for his energies, and with that utilization came a blooming mastery of the Kidō arts and the realization that his spiritual control was perfectly suited for them. Over the years he has mastered the majority of known spells and can use Eishōhaki, Nijū Eishō, and Kōjutsu Eishō to a variety of effects and degrees, even on some of the highest levels of Kidō. He is quite capable of using his wide variety of spells to enhance the usefulness of his more martial abilities, or even end battles without relying on physical force at all, which would have been a foreign concept to him during his time as the Kenpachi. With the capability of using and reusing the highest-level spells without expending a fraction of his almost limitless Reiryoku, the Captain-Commander would be a notably dangerous user of Kidō should he ever choose to siphon more of his spiritual power and time towards its use.

Vast Spiritual Power: In the written history of Soul Society there has never been an individual born with Reiryoku more robust than Harotaissen Tsuribakki. Since then it has only grown stronger, and no other Shinigami, even within the Captain-class, can match him on terms of spiritual pressure: not even Seisui  Naito, who is considered to be the most dangerous man in Soul Society. When even slightly released, Tsuribakki's white Reiatsu embodies the very concept of his Zanpakutō, Chūsei, which is the God-spirit of Metal. The result is an effect that creates constriction around objects, individuals, and even buildings nearby, causing them to compress as if they were being wrapped by tightening metal chains. This pressure alone can splinter and break the bones of Lieutenant-class combatants, leaving little chance for anyone weaker to survive. Even individuals who recognize the pressure from miles away could swear that chains are pulling on them from all directions, and those with particularly keen spiritual senses might even interpret the energy visually and see the metal links wrapping around their forms. Tsuribakki can use this spiritual pressure to enact all of the normal effects that come with such staggering power: he can cause paralysis, fear, and even physical damage through passive use of his Reiatsu. When fully untapped, his spiritual energy takes the rough form of a giant white eagle spreading its five-mile-wide wingspan across the sky. Should this happen, only the strongest Captain-class combatants have a chance of withstanding the onslaught of spiritual pressure, and fewer still could be capable of fighting at full strength.

Curious Links of the Golden Chain: An ability absolutely unique to Captain-Commander Harotaissen Tsuribakki, the Curious Links of the Golden Chain is a loose mixture of Kidō and the special properties of his Reiatsu. Through extremely fine, Kidō-like control of his spiritual pressure, Tsuribakki can actually affect the Chain of Fate of other beings, which can have dramatic effects that play the scale from beautiful to ghastly. This technique has a range of roughly twenty feet, and only those who have willpower and Reiatsu near or above Captain-class can fully resist it. If Tsuribakki is able to gain control of the Chain of Fate—or, in the case of Shinigami, the Saketsu—he can choose to force his will upon it in a variety of forms, depending on the race of the target. While the existence of this ability is well known by most of the Gotei 13’s leadership, its specifics are kept tightly under wraps.

• Humans and Spirits: The Chain of Fate on a human is what binds their soul to their physical form, or, in the case of some spirits (Jibakurei), to whatever is keeping them from moving on naturally to the peaceful realm of Soul Society. Tsuribakki can use the Curious Links of the Golden Chain in a large variety of ways on this species. The most common application he chooses to use is to heal chains that have begun the Encroachment, which is the terrifying process that eventually eats away at a spirit and produces a Hollow. While healing Kidō can return a soul to a living body if the chain is intact, it cannot affect a spirit who has entered the Encroachment, which makes this ability the only known way of fixing such a disaster. Tsuribakki is also capable, however unwilling, of breaking the chains himself, thus creating Hollow out of normal humans and Pluses, or binding chains to places and people in the material world. Because of the absolutely ghastly implications of these abilities, Tsuribakki has never used them in such ways, and only the highest members of Central 46 are privy to the information; they personally outlawed the potential action under all circumstances. These abilities affect every known classification of the human race, including Quincy, Bount, and Fullbringer.

• Shinigami: The Shinigami race no longer has a Chain of Fate due to either their ascension into Soul Society or their natural birth in the afterlife. They do, however, have a Saketsu, which is a closely related pressure point that serves to bind a Shinigami to their personal well of spiritual energy. A tactic used by masters of Zanjutsu is to pierce the Saketsu and seal away the Reiryoku of the victim, causing them to temporarily—or even permanently—lose their powers and become a normal soul. Tsuribakki can elicit the same response through the Curious Links of the Golden Chain, although doing so is often far more difficult than performing the ability on a human, mainly due to the natural spiritual inclination of the race. Still, if the subject cannot keep their Saketsu unaffected by Tsuribakki's assaults, they find themselves completely and permanently cut off from their abilities, no matter how powerful they may have been. Because of the potential implications, the Captain-Commander only uses this in extreme circumstances, and only once the enemy is weak enough to almost guarantee the proper result. This is exceedingly difficult if the Shinigami is Lieutenant-class or stronger.

• Hollow: The formation of the Hollow race is a result of human spirits who found themselves under the control of the Encroachment, which eventually destroys the Chain of Fate and causes a terrible transformation. Once the transformation is complete, the chain no longer exists, leaving the infamous hole that is present on each class of Hollow, including the powerful Arrancar species. Using the Curious Links of the Golden Chain, Tsuribakki can actually reconstitute the lost Chain of Fate and force a reverse transformation, removing the mask of the Hollow and restoring their humanity. Because Hollow are cannibalistic and consume many souls in order to further their growth, only the most powerful soul within the Hollow—the one that remains conscious and defines their own existence—stays in the area where the ability is used; the rest are purged as if they were struck by a Zanpakutō, which can either send them to Soul Society or to Hell. Tsuribakki can then perform Konsō on the newly restored spirit, speak with them, or otherwise affect them as he could any other human soul. This is, by far, the most difficult race to overwhelm due to the many spirits that are sometimes present in one body. Tsuribakki has no choice but to weaken stronger Hollow before he can successfully manipulate them.

Immense Strength: With size and spiritual power comes an incredible knack for physical ability, and Tsuribakki's body is well-sculpted to make the most of his natural talents. As such, he remains the single strongest Shinigami in regard to brute strength, beyond even Seisui Naito. His passive muscle capacity—without enhancement from his Reiryoku—is enough to lift his own weight over his head with relative ease (eight tons, which is roughly the bulk of a twenty-five-foot, newborn whale). That strength alone is sufficient to tear heavily armored combatants in half like humanoid bits of tissue paper, but when bolstered by his spiritual power, his physical might increases to a near incalculable level. There have been times when Tsuribakki has ripped building-sized objects out of the ground with no visible effort, only to wield them as disposable weaponry or physical shields. It is said that he would be capable of breaking through the walls of the Seireitei with his bare hands, a feat that most consider impossible even with Bankai-level techniques.

Immense Endurance: Harotaissen Tsuribakki has shown an incredible ability to withstand catastrophic damage with little ill-effect to his body. The durability of his muscle structure and skin are akin to thickened metal, which is an effect of his close connection to his God-spirit Zanpakutō, Chūsei; his Reiatsu protects him from sources as powerful as a Captain-class Bankai, although more devastating techniques can threaten to pierce his armor-like flesh. Because of this seemingly invulnerable state, Tsuribakki can effortlessly enter combat without the need for evasion or complicated battle strategy, although he is more than capable of both if an enemy requires delicate care. Unless an opponent is capable of delivering massive amounts of damage in a focused attack, there is little chance that his passive defenses will be breached. For these reasons, Tsuribakki is considered a walking siege-engine on the battlefield. Like all stronger Shinigami, normally fatal injuries are not always enough to cause instantaneous death, and Tsuribakki can withstand losing vital organs before having to retreat from a fight.

Unflappable Willpower: Through centuries of bloodshed, decades of meditation, and innate mental predispositions that bolster contemplative introspection, Tsuribakki is perfectly defended against mental attacks and techniques that can be affected by applied use of willpower. Those who attempt to infiltrate his mind, overwhelm him with pain, or otherwise incapacitate his faculties find themselves completely incapable of subverting their way past his iron-clad subconscious and conscious defenses. Powers that may do such eccentric things as bringing back the ghosts of his past or manifesting his psychological fears are equally ineffective; Tsuribakki has accepted his losses, errors, and insecurities to near-perfect harmony. Illusory abilities that do not need access to his mental processes bypass these defenses, since they only act upon the outside world, and they affect his sensory perception as if he were anyone else. Those few techniques that alter the physiology of the sensory organs themselves, such as manipulating the cornea or shifting pressure in the ear, are also unchallenged by this willpower.

Expert Tactician & Strategist: Hundreds of years of nearly constant combat gave Tsuribakki enough experience to sculpt a rather formidable tactical intelligence during his time as the Kenpachi, and his mental senses have only sharpened since ascending to his current position. Although there are certainly more tactically-inclined Shinigami, such as Captain Kuchigane and Captain Kirinonai, Tsuribakki is capable of performing rather outstanding feats of psychological and physical strategy. Most of these are based off of misconception—enemies often make incorrect assumptions about his speed, in particular, which almost invariably ends with the ignorant failing to out-pace him in a fatal match of close-combat. Although his wisdom is astounding, his intelligence is still limited in comparison to natural geniuses like Captain Hanjimono, so while his tactical abilities come from centuries of hard-won experience, mental prodigies can still overshadow him in the subtle movements of preplanned stratagems. Those individuals still have to contend with his actual combat prowess, however.