[richvh]

Originally Posted by majin_vegeta

Spoiler:

Just because you become Master class does not mean that you still don't have a master. You can surpass your master, but you still give him the respect that is his due. Your Master is your master for life.

Spoiler:

But if I understand the chronology correctly, Akisame would have been in his late teens or possibly early twenties at the time. I'm not saying he wasn't master class at the time, I'm saying he may not have been.