The entire battlefield paused abruptly at this moment due to the arrival of the Five Elders and the Holy Knights.
Whether it was the Navy or the pirates, whether it was Hachinosu or the Whitebeard Pirates, everyone felt the terrifying aura pressing down from the sky.
That aura was different from Conqueror's Haki; it was more ancient and colder, as if something had awakened from the depths of the earth.
Sengoku looked up at the enormous figure in the sky, his anger replaced by surprise.
Akainu stopped exchanging blows with Lucci, looked up at the sky, and a complicated smile appeared on his lips.
Garp and Bullet also paused their fight.
Bullet frowned as he looked at the old man in his Gyuki Form and muttered a curse under his breath.
The Five Elders Saint Saturn, swung his cane, unleashing a fierce Conqueror's Haki that swept across the entire area.
As the ripples passed, the residual blood mist in the air was dispersed, and the corpses on the ice surface trembled slightly.
Saint Saturn's gaze fell on Roy.
Those deep-set eyes held no emotion, only a profound and indescribable scrutiny.
It's like looking at a troublesome problem that needs to be dealt with.
Roy.
Saint Saturn spoke, his voice hoarse and low, each word seeming to be squeezed from the depths of his throat.
That's enough.
Roy stood up from beside Chaton and looked up at the huge figure in the distance.
His expression remained calm, but a hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes.
The Five Elders?
Roy's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the room could hear it clearly.
"I didn't expect you guys to be involved too."
"What? Are you worried that heavy naval losses will affect your control of the seas?"
Saint Saturn did not respond to this clearly provocative remark.
He tapped the air with his cane again, and an invisible shockwave shot out from the tip of the cane, enveloping Roy.
The shockwave was silent, colorless, and shapeless.
But Roy's Observation Haki allowed him to clearly perceive—it was a pure shock.
A red light flashed in Roy's eyes.
With a wave of his hand, the same shockwave collided violently with Saint Saturn's impact in mid-air.
The moment the two invisible forces collided in the air, the surrounding space trembled violently.
A ring of cracks appeared on the ice, spreading outwards for dozens of meters in all directions.
Those nearby naval soldiers were swept away by the aftershocks of the two forces and immediately lost consciousness, their eyes rolling back in their heads.
The two forces remained locked in a stalemate in mid-air for a few moments before Saint Saturn's impact began to recede.
Roy abandoned his attempt to finish off Chaton, and his figure disappeared into the void.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared in front of the Saint Saturn and the Holy Knights, unleashing their Conqueror's Haki as well.
The Conqueror's Haki one carrying the destructive power of Telekinesis clashed with Conqueror's Haki of Saint Saturn, subtly suppressing Saint Saturn's Conqueror's Haki.
Saint Saturn frowned slightly.
He could sense that Roy's Conqueror's Haki was far stronger than he had expected.
In his memory, only Rocks possessed such a level of Conqueror's Haki.
"Quite ambitious."
Saint Saturn silently said this in his mind, while withdrawing his Conqueror's Haki attack.
Roy also withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.
Their eyes met in mid-air, but neither spoke first.
Finally, it was Saint Saturn who broke the silence.
"You and your men leave now. The losses to Marine Headquarters end here, and the World Government can drop the matter."
Akainu was in the distance, heard these words and his expression instantly turned extremely ugly.
He was about to say something, but a glance from Saint Saturn made him swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Roy looked at Saint Saturn and suddenly smiled.
"Not going to pursue it?"
Roy pulled Shusui out again, the tip of the blade drawing a shallow arc on the ice.
Do you know how long I've waited for this day?
Roy spoke softly, but every word carried the weight of ten years of planning that had finally led to this point.
"I've waited ten years."
"For the past twenty years, your World Government has wanted my life."
Later, when they realized they couldn't kill me, they started trying to find ways to target Hachinosu.
Economic blockade, increased bounties, assassinations, sowing discord—what methods haven't you used?
Roy raised his head, a cold smile curving his lips.
"Now that you can't win, you're saying you 'won't pursue the matter'?"
" Saint Saturn, have you been sitting in Mary Geoise for too long and forgotten what pirates are?"
Saint Saturn remained silent for a few seconds.
Seeing the determination in Roy's eyes, he knew this battle couldn't be won with words alone.
Since we can't reach an agreement—
His cane pointed at Roy.
"Then there's no need to talk."
Just as Saint Saturn was about to order the Holy Knights to take action, a voice rang out from behind Saint Saturn.
"Lord Saint Saturn."
The voice was as cold as ice, and every word was filled with an almost overflowing killing intent.
Shamrock stepped out from the ranks of the Holy Knights, his eyes beneath the mask fixed on Roy.
His hand was already on the hilt of the knife at his waist, his knuckles white from the force.
"Leave this pirate to me."
Saint Saturn glanced at Shamrock.
He could see the undisguised hatred in Shamrock's eyes, and he knew where that hatred came from.
The battle for Pure Gold.
At that time, Shamrock was the vice-commander of the Holy Knights.
There he encountered Roy head-on and was defeated by Roy in front of everyone.
That defeat almost became a demon in Shamrock's heart. Over the years, he has worked hard to cultivate his skills, hoping that one day he could personally avenge that defeat.
Saint Saturn nodded slightly.
Shamrock stepped out of the line and stood about thirty meters in front of Roy.
He removed his mask, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to Red-Haired Shanks.
Same brow bone, same jawline, but completely different aura.
Shanks is bold and unrestrained, while Shamrock is sinister and tyrannical.
Roy.
Shamrock's voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"The humiliation you inflicted on me ten years ago, I will repay tenfold today."
Roy looked at him and chuckled softly.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it sounded particularly grating to Shamrock's ears.
" Stanks, you couldn't beat me ten years ago, what makes you think you can win now?"
Shamrock's face flushed red instantly.
"Don't call me Stanks!!!"
The long sword at his waist was drawn with a sudden, forceful motion.
The white gem on the scabbard burst forth with a dazzling, cold light the moment the sword was drawn, and a layer of white frost covered the blade.
The surrounding air temperature dropped by more than ten degrees the moment the sword was drawn, and a thin layer of ice crystals suddenly formed on the ice surface.
"A sword that ate Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit?!"
Roy saw it immediately--
In the original work, Shamrock's longsword ate the Cerberus Fruit, granting him the power of fire and hellhounds.
After Roy looted the fruit during his rampage in Mary Geoise, Shamrock's longsword somehow ate another Mythical Zoan Fruit.
Moreover, this fruit's ability is completely opposite to that of Cerberus, possessing the power of ice.
"Interesting."