The Final Trump Card! Ichigo, Towards the Decisive Battle

Mayuri opens a Garganta for Ichigo and Unohana, warning that one wrong move will strand them forever in the void between worlds. Ichigo needles the captain by comparing him to his teacher Urahara before leaping in, and Unohana leaves Isane to manage the wounded. Slighted, Mayuri privately vows to invent fresh terrors for Ichigo later. Meanwhile, Kenpachi trades blows with Yammy's colossal Resurreccion, shrugging off punishment and lopping off fingers, a leg, and finally staggering the Espada.

Watching from a distance, Byakuya presses Mayuri on why he lingered in Hueco Mundo, and the scientist claims the harvest of curiosities is richer there for now. Crossing toward the living world, Unohana tells Ichigo his past defeat is oddly an asset: Aizen's Kanzen Saimin ensnares anyone who has seen his Shikai released, and Ichigo is the only fighter on either side who never has. So long as he never witnesses that release, he holds the edge, and he resolves that defeating Aizen falls to him alone.

Noticing Ichigo's spiritual trail is ragged, Unohana firmly takes the lead and then learns his Reiryoku sits at half strength because Orihime could only partially restore it before he rushed off. She lets him run ahead while mending his power on the move, quietly judging that his full potential could make him the trump card they need. In Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi fells Yammy and coolly calls on Byakuya to finish the beaten foe, but Yammy revives, enraged, and unleashes an enormous Cero at both captains.

Ichigo and Unohana depart Hueco Mundo through Mayuri's Garganta toward Karakura Town. Unohana explains that Ichigo is uniquely immune to Aizen's complete hypnosis and restores his depleted Reiryoku in transit. Kenpachi batters Yammy down, only for the Espada to rise and fire a massive Cero at Kenpachi and Byakuya.

The episode adapts chapter 381 and part of chapter 382 during the later Fake Karakura Town fighting. Its Illustrated Picture Book segment plays on Isane forgetting a word beginning with 'Hana,' cutting to a lost Hanataro wandering Las Noches while Isane simply retrieves her comedic glasses.