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

Above the floating island, the sea of ​​clouds churned, and even the sun and moon seemed to lose their luster because of this fierce battle.

From the blazing sun to the setting sun, Hancock and Shiki the Golden Lion's figures collided and separated repeatedly in the air, the deafening roar and the shockwaves of their powerful clashes never ceasing.

Hancock was drenched in sweat, her skirt torn in several places, stained with dust and a few traces of her own pale gold blood.

Her breathing was slightly rapid, and her beautiful face showed an unprecedented solemnity and exhaustion.

This battle proved to be even more difficult than she had anticipated.

Shiki the Golden Lion's combat awareness and experience are truly terrifying.

That was an instinct that had been forged through countless life-and-death battles and confrontations with monsters like Roger Whitebeard.

Several times, Hancock thought she had found a weakness and launched a fatal attack.

The "Big Fragrant Kick," which embodies internal destructive techniques, was forcibly neutralized or deflected by Shiki at the critical moment with an almost prescient approach, using even more powerful and exquisite top-tier Haki.

His domineering presence is like a vast and deep ocean, surpassing Hancock in both quantity and quality.

That was the foundation of the strongest warriors of the old era; even though they had declined due to injuries and illnesses, they were still not to be underestimated.

However, Shiki's condition was by no means good either.

He was panting heavily, his long golden hair soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead, making him look even more disheveled.

What frustrated and frustrated him the most was that he had several chances to deliver the decisive blow to Hancock.

But always at the most crucial moment, that damned ship's rudder on my head sends a sharp pain that goes deep into my bones.

This caused his breath to catch in his throat, his movements to become distorted, and some of the domineering aura he had gathered dissipated, leading to his failure at the last moment.

"Ugh—!"

Shiki let out a painful groan, forced to interrupt his relentless attack once again by a sudden headache, staggering backward and taking the opportunity to gasp for breath.

Hancock keenly grasped this point.

A knowing glint flashed in her beautiful eyes.

As expected... His power is based on his control over the entire sky island after the Float-Float Fruit awakened, which makes his attack range extremely wide, elusive, and seemingly omnipresent.

However, his physical body, due to this fatal old wound, has become his greatest weakness.

Like a leaky bladder, it appears large but is actually empty inside.

His Devil Fruit ability grants him near-domain control, allowing him to manipulate environmental forces. His fighting style is unpredictable and unpredictable, making him extremely difficult to deal with.

But when it comes to a head-on clash that requires him to unleash his full power and precisely control his domineering aura, he becomes invincible.

The ship's rudder in his head became a bomb that could explode at any moment, making it impossible for him to sustain his efforts or unleash his true peak strength.

"Heh heh heh... little girl... to be able to fight me to this extent... you have every reason to be proud!"

Shiki tried to suppress his headache and cover his weakness with maniacal laughter, but his trembling voice and pale face betrayed him.

"However... that's enough! Let me show you my true power! Lion's Might - Imperial Palace Scroll!"

He suddenly raised his hands upwards, and with a roar, several huge floating islands around him shook and disintegrated under his control.

It transformed into countless enormous rock lion heads, blotting out the sky and crushing and devouring Hancock from all directions!

This is a large-scale clearing attack, using awakened abilities to carry out indiscriminate and devastating strikes.

Faced with this attack that seemed like a natural disaster, Hancock's eyes sharpened.

She knew that resisting head-on was not a wise move.

With his intermediate-level Observation Haki pushed to its limit, his figure moved like a butterfly flitting through the gaps between countless lion heads, each dodge fraught with peril.

At the same time, she concentrated her Armament Haki in her feet.

He used Moonwalk to continuously elevate his body, attempting to escape the airspace filled with rocky lion heads.

"Boom—!"

The enormous lion heads collided and squeezed against each other, producing a deafening roar, and rubble fell like a torrential rain.

Hancock swiftly changed direction in mid-air, narrowly avoiding a close-range impact, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

She could sense that Shiki was manipulating the attacks on these islands.

Although the range is enormous and the power is astonishing, the precision seems to have decreased. It is clear that maintaining such a large-scale output of power is also a huge burden on him.

"We must get close! His true form is the key!"

Hancock's mind raced, and seizing an opportunity, she charged toward Shiki like an arrow, risking being hit by falling rocks!

"Hmph! You've walked right into our trap!"

Shiki grinned, focusing his mind on controlling the last few of the largest rock lion heads.

We'll surround Hancock from all sides and crush him completely!

On the brink of life and death, a resolute glint flashed in Hancock's eyes.

Instead of dodging, she channeled all her domineering aura, especially the extremely unstable Conqueror's Haki, and forcefully concentrated it into her right fist.

The alluring pink energy intertwined with the black and red arcs of electricity, exuding an extremely dangerous aura!

"The enemy's arrow!"

She let out a sharp cry and threw a punch!

The target is not those enormous lion heads, but the core connection point of their power.

She wanted to forcibly interrupt Shi Ji's ability to control the airspace where he was located.

The pinkish-black energy shockwave, like a meteor tearing through the night sky, instantly crossed the distance and blasted towards Shiki.

Shiki's expression changed drastically!

In haste, he could only forcibly interrupt his control over part of the lion's head and concentrate his domineering aura in front of him for defense!

"boom--!!!"

A massive explosion echoed high in the sky!

The dark pink energy collided violently with Shiki's imposing shield, and the violent shockwave shattered the remaining rock lion heads around them.

"puff!"

Shiki groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his body swayed.

The ship's wheel on his head made a teeth-grinding "creaking" sound, and the excruciating pain made his vision go black, and his abilities almost went out of control!

Hancock was also thrown away by the aftershocks of the explosion, her blood surging within her body, and she almost fell from the sky.

He managed to stay upright and hold on only through sheer willpower and the power of Moonwalk.

The two looked at each other across the distance, both breathing heavily, both bearing injuries, and their eyes filled with fear of the other.

The sky grew completely dark.

The stars began to twinkle in the sky.

This battle raged from day to night, and... the outcome remained undecided!

Hancock looked at the distant, fluctuating aura, and then at the Golden Lion, who was also at his last gasp but still ferocious.

They knew that continuing the fight would likely result in mutual destruction, or even mutual annihilation.

It seems that with my current strength, I'm still a ways off from completely subduing this crippled lion by force...

She calmly assessed the situation in her mind.

However, the objective of this battle has been achieved.

She not only figured out the details of the Golden Lion, but also gained a deeper understanding of the Conqueror's Haki under extreme pressure.

And Shiki, too, didn't want to fight anymore.

He felt like his head was about to explode. If he forced himself to exert any more power, he would probably collapse before the other party even had to lift a finger.

The two faced each other from a distance, and the battle seemed to have reached a stalemate.