One Piece: I am the Empress, and the more sycophants I have, the stronger I become.

Hancock landed lightly, her scarlet dress fluttering through the air filled with the smell of burning and electric arcs, untouched by dust.

Just as she was preparing to completely eliminate this self-proclaimed god-ruler of the sky island, a system notification unexpectedly sounded in her mind.

[Ding! Enel has developed a twisted sense of admiration and awe towards the host, reminiscent of Stockholm Syndrome, after suffering absolute suppression and crushing defeat. Infatuation value +10! Current level: Beginner (10/100).]

Hancock raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

10 o'clock? It seems that this guy, despite his arrogance, is actually far inferior in fighting spirit and temperament to a true tyrant like Crocodile, and also inferior to Mihawk, who pursues the way of the sword.

Could a single, complete failure have caused him to develop this distorted dependency?

Just then, Enel, severely injured and with his lightning dimmed, struggled to climb out of the crater.

He clutched the wound from which charred blood continued to seep, his golden pupils filled with resentment, fear, and a newly formed, twisted focus that even he himself was unaware of.

He glared at Hancock and Luffy, especially the rubber boy who completely overpowered him, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Hmph! This time... you've won! But don't think this is the end! This god... will return!"

After saying that, he barely managed to gather a faint wisp of electricity around his body, attempting to transform into an element and escape from this battlefield that had humiliated him.

He believed that with the speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, no one could stop him if he wanted to leave!

Hancock watched coldly and did not immediately stop them.

She did want to keep Enel, whether for the potential to gain favor or for the power of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

However, if the opponent is determined to escape, forcibly intercepting them at lightning speed would come at a considerable cost, and the chances of success are slim, making it not cost-effective.

She quickly weighed the options in her mind.

Luffy, single-mindedly, yelled, "Hey! You electric shock guy! Don't run away! We're not done fighting yet!"

However, he also didn't have a good way to escape by transforming into an element.

Just as Enel's figure was about to completely dissipate into lightning...

"Hehehehe!!!"

A loud, arrogant laugh suddenly rang out, carrying an extremely strong sense of mockery and oppression!

"Come and go as you please? Do you think your Golden Lion Grandpa is just for show?!"

Shiki the Golden Lion, who had been watching the show from the sidelines with a cigar in his mouth, had somehow floated into the air.

He crossed his arms and looked at Enel, who was trying to escape, his face full of undisguised contempt.

He already disliked Enel, a guy who had no real skills and was arrogant only because of his Devil Fruit ability.

Especially since this guy kept calling himself "God," it really hit a nerve with Shiki.

He thought of that guy (Im) hiding on the Void Throne in Mary Geoise, who called himself "Lord of Gods," and there were still a lot of people who disagreed and were thinking about overthrowing him every day!

This greenhorn in front of me, who hasn't even mastered the art of domineering aura, dares to challenge me?

What infuriated him even more was that the rubber boy next to him (Luffy), despite not being particularly strong, possessed a tenacity that he found extremely irritating...

A certain inexplicable sense of "fate" made him feel irritated just looking at it.

This rage was vented on the "imposter god" who was trying to escape!

"Trying to slip away after causing trouble? Get down here right now!"

Shiki roared and stomped forward with his two famous swords, "Kumo" and "Sakura-ju"!

Om-!

An invisible and intangible yet immensely powerful force instantly enveloped the space around Enel.

That was Shiki the Golden Lion's pinnacle of the Float-Float Fruit ability.

He can control the floating state of all "non-living matter" within his reach!

Enel was horrified to discover that the lightning element that had just gathered around him seemed to have been forcibly stripped away and solidified by an invisible hand.

His process of becoming an elemental was abruptly interrupted, and even the air beneath his feet and the dust around him seemed to turn into heavy shackles.

He was firmly pinned to the spot, unable to move!

"No! Impossible! My power...!"

Enel frantically activated his Devil Fruit power, but the lightning was like being stuck in quagmire, unable to flow smoothly, let alone carry him at high speed.

Under the suppression of the range and intensity of the power, the speed advantage of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was forcibly broken by Shiki using a combination of a fruit and Haki!

"Yehahaha...No!!" Enel let out a desperate and unwilling howl.

Shiki the Golden Lion looked down at Enel, who was struggling like a flying insect trapped in amber, and sneered.

"Is that all you've got? You dare to act so arrogantly in front of me? Just surrender and become my prisoner!"

He made a grabbing motion in the air, and Enel felt a tremendous force coming from him, and his whole body was lifted into the air uncontrollably.

Like a dead dog, it was dragged by an invisible force and slammed at Hancock's feet, completely losing its ability to resist.

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye. From Enel's attempt to escape to being overwhelmed and captured alive by Shiki's absolute power, it only took a few seconds.

The Straw Hat crew was stunned once again.

Nami covered her mouth: "That old man... is so strong!"

Zoro's eyes were extremely serious: "Another... monster-level guy."

Sanji's hand was still trembling as he lit his cigarette: "What day is it today...?"

Usopp and Chopper were already numb: "Another one..."

Luffy scratched his head, looked at Enel who had been thrown to the ground, then at the golden lion in the air, and muttered to himself.

"Ah, they got caught. But that old man looks really fierce..."

Hancock looked down at Enel, who lay unconscious and imprisoned at her feet.

Looking up at the golden lion in the sky with an expression that seemed to say, "I just did a small thing," his mind raced.

The Golden Lion... although unstable, if used properly, it is indeed an invincible blade.

His capture of Enel saved me a lot of trouble.

However, his inexplicable dislike for Luffy... is worth noting.

She remained expressionless and nodded slightly to the golden lion: "Thank you for your trouble, First Mate Shiki."

Then, her gaze swept over the still-shaken Straw Hat crew, lingering for a moment on Nami and Sanji, before finally settling on the giant golden bell.