Chapter 551 - 551 The View From The Heights

"Actually, I knew all along. Once the Hogyoku was obtained, the former Espada would lose their value."

Perhaps because he was about to die, Dordoni seemed to see his past memories flashing before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

"Yet, knowing I had lost my value, knowing I would be discarded sooner or later, I still willingly served Aizen-sama! But..."

"Pwah—"

Just as he was immersed in the painful memories deep within his consciousness, Dordoni suddenly felt a large amount of liquid splashing onto his face. He instinctively opened his eyes.

However, the moment he opened his eyes, he saw the little girl who had been held in Toshiro's arms open her mouth and spit at him.

"Waaaah—!!!"

Dordoni instinctively jumped up from the ground, shouting.

"Wh-what are you doing?! What did you just do to me!"

Dordoni wiped the spit from his face and demanded loudly with a look of disgust.

"What did I do? I just spat on you!"

Nel said matter-of-factly.

"I know you spat on me! What I want to know is why you spat on me!!"

Dordoni shouted, ashamed and angry. "Since I've lost, kill me if you want! Don't humiliate me!!"

"Shut up!"

Toshiro couldn't help but step in and say, "Hey, you, Dori or whatever, can you please not be so noisy?"

"It's Dordoni! Not Dori or whatever!!"

Dordoni corrected.

"Alright, alright, Dordoni. Nel's saliva has healing properties. She just saved you, you know."

Toshiro patted Nel's little head, looking like he was praising a good child.

"Hehe... that's why Nel spat on you."

Nel also said with a proud expression.

In truth, Dordoni's injuries had been very severe, to the point of death. Although Nel's saliva did have some healing effect, it couldn't have revived him so quickly.

The real reason Dordoni woke up so fast was that Toshiro had secretly used Kaido.

Although Toshiro had considered not intervening and letting Dordoni die from his injuries, he ultimately couldn't bear to see Nel sad, so he secretly helped.

After hearing Toshiro's explanation, Dordoni assumed Nel had saved him. He looked at her with a complex expression and said, "Is that so? You saved..."

Before he could finish, Nel suddenly stuck her little fist into her mouth, pinched her small tongue, and induced vomiting.

"Blergh..."

Nel began to 'vomit a rainbow' towards Dordoni.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Dordoni couldn't help but ask loudly again.

"I'm spitting! You've only recovered a little. To fully recover, you need a lot more saliva."

Nel said while continuing to 'spit'.

"That's not spitting! You're just vomiting!!"

Dordoni looked at the pile of 'rainbow' on the ground and complained with disgust.

"No, it's saliva! If I pinch my little tongue, saliva just keeps flowing out!"

Nel insisted.

"That's clearly vomit! And how can a girl do something like this..."

Dordoni couldn't help but cover Nel's mouth.

"Mmph! Stop it!"

"Hmph! You stop making sounds, and I'll stop!"

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Then the two started bickering.

"Alright, alright, both of you stop. And Nel, stop spitting."

Toshiro pulled them apart, then took out a handkerchief to wipe Nel's mouth.

Such a cute little girl doing something like 'vomiting a rainbow'… even Toshiro couldn't stand it.

Thud—!

Just as Toshiro was wiping Nel's mouth, Dordoni groaned in pain and collapsed to the ground again.

"Really, we barely got you awake, and you have to act up like this. Now look what happened."

Seeing Dordoni fall again, Toshiro wasn't surprised.

Dordoni's injuries were already severe. Even with Toshiro's Kaido and Nel's saliva, he had only barely woken up. But as soon as he awoke, he started jumping around, causing his wounds, which had begun to heal, to reopen. Now he couldn't even stand steadily.

"Sigh... I lost after all... I'm convinced..."

Lying on the ground, Dordoni suddenly sighed.

"I have great strength, a strong will to win, and no trace of carelessness. Yet, I still see no hope of victory. A great existence like you is ultimately not something I can challenge."

Dordoni said, looking dejected.

"You're not bad either. There aren't many who can make me draw my sword."

Perhaps out of pity or sympathy, Toshiro praised Dordoni.

"Heh, don't pity me..."

Dordoni smiled bitterly. "Actually, I really wanted to become an Espada again. The Espada are Aizen-sama's most loyal subordinates. Moreover, Aizen-sama does not treat the Espada as tools for battle. I am clear about that."

"Doesn't treat the Espada as tools for battle? Heh."

Toshiro scoffed but didn't argue.

Perhaps Aizen indeed didn't treat the Espada as tools for battle, because in his heart, the Espada might be less than tools.

If a tool breaks, its owner might feel a twinge of regret. But if an Espada dies, Aizen wouldn't feel a thing.

In the original work, after the Espada were defeated one by one by the Gotei 13's Captains and lost their value, Aizen did not hesitate to deal with the defeated Harribel, showing no regret.

Dordoni continued quietly, "No matter who, once they have stood at the heights, they never forget the view from there. That place is truly comfortable. I thought that if I performed well in my battle with you, I could not only prove the dignity of us 'three-digits' but perhaps also make Aizen-sama look at me differently and reappoint me as an Espada."

"So, to achieve my goal, I used even despicable means without hesitation. Even now, that thought has not changed at all!!!"

Dordoni suddenly shouted, picked up his Zanpakuto, stood up with all his remaining strength, and charged in the direction of Toshiro.