After another exchange of swordplay, the two retreated simultaneously, creating a distance of several dozen meters between them.
Shiki's chest heaved violently, and sweat streamed down his forehead and the wrinkles on his face.
But the arrogant smile still lingered on his lips, and the fighting spirit in his single eye remained undiminished.
"Kid, who taught you your swordsmanship? It doesn't sound like Hawk Eyes's style."
"Self-taught," Roy said.
"Can someone learn to this level through self-study?"
Shiki snorted.
"Your talent is even more exaggerated Roger's."
Roy didn't reply, but held Shusui horizontally in front of him, gently stroking the blade with his left hand.
" Shiki, is your Float-Float Fruit still usable?"
Up until now, you've been using swordsmanship and Haki.
Shiki's smile froze for a moment.
You figured it out.
His Float-Float Fruit certainly usable.
But the exchange just now had confirmed one thing for him—within Roy's Telekinesis Domain, his Float-Float Fruit ability would be severely suppressed.
He can manipulate objects around him to float, but Roy can do the same, and do it with more precision and directness.
He could make a floating Sky Island crash down, while Roy could keep it suspended in mid-air with a flick of his finger.
In terms of ability, he was completely suppressed.
"Then let's change our strategy!"
Suddenly, Shiki raised both hands upwards.
Centered on him, the clouds within a radius of several kilometers began to churn violently.
Under his control, the clouds rapidly condensed and compressed, transforming into hundreds of enormous lion heads, each over ten meters in diameter, within a few breaths.
These lion heads floated in mid-air, densely covering the entire sky, reflecting a dazzling white light in the sunlight.
"Lion - Tianshui Funeral!"
Shiki pressed his hands down.
Hundreds of lion heads, imbued with Armament Haki, simultaneously hurtled towards Roy.
Roy watched the attacks coming from all directions, his expression unchanged.
He simply raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.
Telekinesis Domain, fully activated.
The water balloons all stopped less than ten meters away from him.
It wasn't slowing down, it was stopping instantly. Hundreds of lion heads were suspended in mid-air, motionless as if a pause button had been pressed.
Shiki's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Your abilities--"
" The Telekinesis Fruit Awakening."
"Within my domain, all matter is controlled by my will."
"If you try to use the Float-Float Fruit to carry things and throw them at me, you're essentially handing me a weapon."
Roy's fingers twitched slightly.
The hundreds of lion heads simultaneously changed direction and hurled back at Shiki.
Shiki quickly manipulated the lion heads to stop, engaging in a Telekinesis struggle with Roy.
But in the instant his attention was diverted, Roy's figure had already vanished from the spot.
The next second, he appeared behind Shiki.
Shusui slash diagonally.
Shiki's Observation Haki caught Roy's movement at the last moment.
He braced himself with his twin swords behind his back, taking Roy's blow head-on.
The shockwave from the clash of blades shattered the surrounding clouds once more.
Shiki was thrown forward dozens of meters by the force, tumbling twice in the air before barely managing to regain his balance.
Before he could even catch his breath, Roy had already reappeared in front of him.
Shusui pierce straight.
Shiki dodged to the side, the blade grazing his shoulder and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his skin.
He thrust his sword at Roy's chest with a backhand motion, but Roy twisted his body at an uncanny angle, easily dodging the attack.
"Too slow."
As Roy spoke, he slapped Shiki's chest with his left hand.
The Telekinesis shockwave emanated from his body.
Shiki was thrown back by the force of the impact, his body tracing a straight line through the air before finally coming to a stop after crashing through several layers of clouds.
A charred handprint appeared on his chest, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
Roy didn't give chase. He stood there, watching as Shiki regained his footing, and then said something that enraged Shiki.
" Shiki, you're getting old."
The ship's rudder above your head is still affecting your nerve reaction speed.
Your Conqueror's Haki isn't what it used to be—you failed those attempts to entangle me just now, didn't you?"
Shiki's face turned bright red.
"Shut up--!!!"
The Golden Lion drew both swords simultaneously, unleashing a golden slash towards Roy once more.
Roy casually sliced it to pieces with a single stroke.
I am stating the facts.
If you didn't have that rudder in your head, if you were twenty years younger, this battle might have been quite exciting.
But now--"
He paused for a moment.
You are no match for me.
Shiki's hands, gripping the two swords, trembled violently.
A sense of humiliation from being looked down upon rose in my heart.
He knew Roy was telling the truth.
He knew he was getting old, knew he was being held back by that damned rudder.
He knew that his Conqueror's Haki could no longer be freely applied to the blade as he had in his youth.
But none of these were acceptable to him.
He is the Golden Lion.
He can lose in this life, but he cannot accept charity from others.
" Roy the Kid--"
Shiki's voice was hoarse and deep, each word sounding as if it were carved from bone.
"I've said it before, even if I die, I'll die on the battlefield."
He raised his twin swords again, the blades aimed at Roy.
"Since you were able to kill Saint Saturn, it means you have the strength to kill a peak expert."
Then use that strength to kill me—don't waste time here nagging about 'you're no match for me'!
Roy stared at Shiki's bloodshot eyes and remained silent for a few seconds.
Roy sighed.
"All right."
His right hand rested on the hilt of the Shusui Blade once more.
"Since you're so eager to die—then I'll grant your wish."
Shiki knew he would lose.
From the moment Roy shattered his golden slash with a single blow, he knew he couldn't defeat this young man.
He was all too familiar with this feeling.
I felt the same way when I faced Roger at Edd War and when I faced Rocks at God Valley.
The guy standing opposite me is stronger than me.
But Golden Lion Shiki has never given up in his life just because his opponent is stronger than him.
He took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the surging blood in his chest.
With his right hand gripping Oto and his left hand gripping Kogarashi, the blades of both swords regained a dark sheen of Armament Haki.
"Again!"
Shiki pushed off with his feet and charged towards Roy again.
The two swords danced in a flurry, one above and one below, simultaneously slashing towards Roy's throat and side.
Roy raised his knife to block.
Shusui braced himself against the Oto above, while simultaneously shifting his body to avoid the Kogarashi below.
The sword's edge grazed the hem of his clothes, raising a wisp of fabric.
Shiki missed his first attack and immediately changed tactics.
With his right hand, Oto pressed down, while with his left hand, Kogarashi slashed horizontally from the side, the trajectories of the two swords drawing a strange intersecting arc in the air.
This move is one of his signature techniques— Twin Swords Throat Lock.
Back in the New World, countless arrogant young swordsmen had their necks severed by this move.
But Roy was faster than him.
From the moment the battle began, the red light that flashed in Roy's eyes indicated that he had already figured out every move the Golden Lion made.