Ichigo Challenges One Piece in This Slick Bleach Artwork

For the last couple of decades, One Piece has been on a mission. The series has followed after Monkey D. Luffy as the boy fights to become the King of the Pirates. Of course, the hero is not alone in the quest, and he has his fair share of competitors. Now, some resurfaced Bleach art has stirred up a hilarious conversation that takes aim at Ichigo’s seafaring skills.

Over on Twitter, the discussion was prompted by user Butou_Renjin. The netizen shared a bit of throwback artwork which stars Ichigo Kurosaki. The character is best known by fans as Bleach‘s lead, and this artwork proves the boy wears his gear well.

Down below, you can find some examples of Ichigo’s swashbuckling swagger. In the left photos, Ichigo has gone full pirate thanks to his hat and ornate clothing. With a pint in hand, Ichigo is ready to sail away from the Soul Society, but his other outfit isn’t quite has abrupt.

Obviously, the righthand drawing marries Ichigo’s love of pirates with soul reapers. The hero is in his shinigami robes as usual, but his hulking pirates saber and hat stray from his usual.

Clearly, Ichigo would make a foreboding pirate, but fans are curious how he would fare against Luffy. As audiences will know, One Piece isn’t easy on its hero, so Luffy has become hugely powerful. His Haki and Devil Fruit make him especially strong, but the same can be said for Ichigo. His unique Spiritual Pressure gives him powers unlike any Luffy has faced before, so let’s agree it would be best for the two to just get along.

Do you think Ichigo could lead a pirate crew of his own? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Bleach was first created by Tite Kubo for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, running from 2001 to 2016. The series follows the young delinquent Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see spirits. He soon obtains the power of a Soul Reaper – one meant to usher lost souls to the afterlife – and now has the duty to defend the living world from monstrous dark spirits known as Hollows. You can currently find the series now streaming on Hulu.