"Bleach" manga chapter 648 erupted with the battle between Shunsui and Barro, and while it ended on some form of cliffhanger, fans are now speculating that the battle will continue to intensify in chapter 649, possibly with Shunsui winning the battle.

According to a report from KPopStarz, there are speculations that the battle will only get more intense as Shunsui has the upper hand in the battle. However, it is pointed out that despite the injuries, Barro will still be able to make a comeback since the Quincies do have the ability of stealing an enemy's Bankai with their special amulet.

It is a mystery as to why Barro didn't do this before hand since stealing Shunsui's Bankai would have given the former a bigger advantage to at least fight on the same level as Shunsui's. It is entirely possible that Barro is waiting for the last moment to gain a sudden advantage and turn the battle around against Shunsui.

Fans also hope that "Bleach" author Tite Kubo hasn't completely forgotten about Barro's abilities and what the amulet can do. It does happen in some series where the creators forget about abilities, personality traits or even events that occurred before, creating a little bit of inconsistency in their own series.

The report also points out that there is some level of confusion regarding the different levels of Shunsui's Bankai. Chapter 648 did not explain how each different level is attained or activated and the full extent of the Bankai's powers were not yet shown. It is hinted that as their battle hits its climax in chapter 649 these questions will be addressed.

"Bleach" chapter 649 released last Wednesday, Oct. 29 but as of yet official scans of the translated pages have yet to be uploaded. At the moment only the original manga written in its native Japanese is out for the public to read.