While parrying Shamrock's attacks, Roy used his Observation Haki to scan the members of the Holy Knights outside the ice mist.
Their positions, their aura, their gathering of power—all this information was clearly visible to Roy.
"That's about it."
Roy suddenly said something.
Before Shamrock could react, Roy's figure had vanished from his sight.
The next second, Roy appeared outside the ice mist, hovering in mid-air.
He looked down at the members of the Holy Knights standing in a row below, a faint smile on his lips.
Shamrock burst out of the icy mist, the chill emanating from his longsword even more intense than before.
His chest heaved violently; the continuous high-intensity attacks had exhausted him considerably.
But his eyes remained fixed on Roy was suspended in mid-air.
Shamrock's hand, gripping the knife, trembled slightly from the excessive force.
He wanted to charge forward, but he knew he was no match for Roy in a head-on confrontation.
Those brief few minutes of fighting had already made him realize a harsh reality—
Roy's speed was superior to his, his strength was superior, and even the precision of his Observation Haki was superior.
But he is the leader of the Holy Knights. He cannot step down.
"All personnel—here comes your command!"
Shamrock raised his longsword, and a chilling aura emanated from its blade.
The remaining eleven members of the Holy Knights moved simultaneously.
Their abilities differ, but their teamwork is exceptionally seamless.
Some people manipulate fire, some create poisonous fog, some enhance themselves, some control shadows...
Eleven abilities were activated simultaneously, attacking Roy from eleven different angles.
Roy's gaze swept over each member of the Holy Knights, memorizing their abilities and characteristics.
Last time, he killed many of the previous generation members of the Holy Knights.
He doesn't yet fully understand the capabilities of the new batch of people who have joined the team.
Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle; he has never forgotten the wisdom passed down from his ancestors.
There are simply too many unknown rule-based abilities in the world of One Piece. Some of these bizarre abilities are difficult to understand without knowing their details.
Even top-tier experts can stumble and fall from grace.
Roy didn't want to stumble in a place like this.
"Alright, let's take this opportunity to figure out the capabilities of all of you."
Roy muttered something under his breath, then vanished from the spot once more.
Roy's figure moved like a ghost amidst the attacks of the twelve members of the Holy Knights.
His teleportations were precisely timed to coincide with the gaps in the opponent's attacks.
Each strike was aimed straight for a vital point, but each time it was neutralized by the opponent's various uncanny abilities.
During the gaps in his dodging, Roy observed the characteristics of each person's abilities, memorizing their fruit types, attack patterns, and defensive weaknesses.
This level of encirclement wasn't fatal for him, but it certainly served to restrain him.
" The Holy Knights truly live up to their reputation," Roy muttered after another teleportation.
"All you do is hide, you pirate!"
Shamrock's voice came from the side, and his longsword unleashed another chilling slash.
This time, instead of releasing his power remotely, he concentrated his chilling energy on the blade, closed in, and slashed at Roy one strike after another.
Each cut carried a temperature low enough to freeze bone marrow; the air condensed into ice crystals wherever the blade passed.
Roy parried and retreated, a thin layer of frost already forming on Shusui's blade, and his fingers gripping the blade stiffening from the low temperature.
But his expression remained calm.
"Hey, Stanks, there are twelve of you against me, and you won't even let me dodge?"
He parried Shamrock's downward slash, the blades rubbing together with a grating, screeching sound.
"However—since you've put it that way, let me see just how much you've improved in these ten years."
As soon as he finished speaking, the muscles in Roy's arm suddenly bulged.
A tremendous force erupted from Shusui Dao, sending Shamrock flying.
Then his figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared in mid-air.
Roy stood in mid-air, looking down at the members of the Holy Knights who were regrouping below.
The sea breeze ruffled the wisps of hair on his forehead, revealing his calm yet sharp eyes.
"I have a basic understanding of all your abilities."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly audible to everyone.
Shamrock frowned. "What did you say?"
I said--
Roy slowly raised the Black Blade Shusui, above his head, gripped the hilt with both hands, and assumed a standard high stance.
"I've seen all your cards. Now—it's my turn to play."
A terrifying burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Roy's body.
This time, the Conqueror's Haki was completely different from the one used when testing Saint Saturn.
The dark red Inazuma no longer struck randomly in all directions, but instead coalesced into a huge dark red vortex centered on Roy.
The vortex spun rapidly, stirring up the surrounding air and creating a piercing buzzing sound.
At the center of the vortex, Conqueror's Haki Inazuma began to gather on Roy's Shusui Blade.
The dark red Inazuma was forcibly compressed onto the blade by an invisible force, becoming denser and brighter with each compression.
The color changed from dark red to deep red, from deep red to purplish red, and finally to a glaring blackish red.
Black and red Inazuma crackled along the Shusui Blade, and the space around the blade began to distort and deform due to the concentration of this power.
Tiny spatial cracks kept appearing and disappearing along the edge of the blade, each flash accompanied by a faint tearing sound.
Shamrock's expression changed.
He could feel the power contained in that strike—it wasn't ordinary Conqueror's Coating, but a qualitative change resulting from compressing Conqueror's Haki to its limit.
That level of power was beyond his comprehension.
"Everyone—defense with all your might!!!"
Shamrock roared, and Conqueror's Haki began to gather on his longsword as well.
While his Conqueror's Coating wasn't as terrifying as Roy's, it was still a genuine Conqueror's Coating.
The twelve members of the Holy Knights simultaneously unleashed their strongest defensive abilities.
Rock armor, liquid barrier, fire shield, light shield...
Layer upon layer, they formed a colorful defensive wall in front of them.
Saint Saturn stood behind the Holy Knights, his scepter slightly raised, his eight spider legs carving eight deep holes in the ground.
A rare hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes.
Roy's lips curled up slightly.
Then— the Shusui slashed down fiercely.
" Conqueror's Coating - Shattering the Void!"
A black and red slash flew out from the edge of the Shusui Blade.
Unlike a normal slash that is an arc of light, that strike was a straight black line.