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

After giving a few instructions that day, Rayleigh left in the early hours of the morning.

A few days later, Hancock figured that the Golden Lion's temper, which had been slightly dampened by his conflict with Rayleigh, had subsided, so he went to the side hall of the palace where he was temporarily staying.

Shiki was dangling in mid-air with his legs crossed.

Bored, he used his ability to make several rocks revolve around him like planets.

When Hancock came in, he just glanced at her lazily.

"Oh, little captain, here to inspect your first mate again?"

His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation and lingering frustration.

Clearly, being suppressed by Hancock on the spot and forced to drink "amicably" with Rayleigh made this legend feel very embarrassed.

Hancock understood, but didn't say anything.

She walked gracefully to the window and looked out at the calm, windless sea.

He spoke in a flat tone, as if discussing a trivial matter:

"Senior Shiki, staying on Amazon Lily to recuperate is certainly peaceful, but it must be a bit boring, right? I have an interesting place here that might allow you to stretch your muscles and, incidentally... make some profit."

"Oh?"

Shiki raised an eyebrow, showing a slight interest.

"Where to? Some ignorant Yonko's territory? Or a Marine base?"

He clearly had no interest in "small-scale operations".

"Neither."

Hancock turned around, a mysterious smile on her stunningly beautiful face.

"It is an island located 10,000 meters above the ground—the Sky Island."

"Sky Island?"

Shiki paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"Back in my day, I flew all over the world. What kind of floating islands haven't I seen? They're just small places that survive by relying on strange air currents or seas of clouds. What kind of profit could they possibly offer?"

"What if I told you that the floating island contains a vast amount of gold?"

Hancock threw out the first bait.

"According to reliable sources, its reserves are comparable to the treasure of a small to medium-sized country. How about we split the gold we obtain fifty-fifty? Or... you sixty and I fourty, after all, it would take your abilities to get there easily, senior."

"gold?"

Shiki stroked his chin, showing little interest.

"Little girl, at my level, gold is nothing more than pretty stones. The treasures I once possessed could fill your entire island!"

He indeed doesn't have a strong desire for money.

Hancock was not surprised; she had expected this.

She slowly took a few steps closer, her voice low and alluring:

"So... what about the Poneglyphs? Clues about the Ancient Weapons? There might be a stone on that sky island that contains information about Poseidon, the Sea King."

"Historical text?!"

Shiki's pupils contracted slightly, and he unconsciously sat up straighter.

As a veteran pirate, he knew exactly what the Poneglyphs and Ancient Weapons meant.

When he challenged Roger and destroyed the Marine Headquarters, he was pursuing supreme power and the possibility of overturning the world.

Ancient weapons were one such shortcut.

Seeing that Shiki was interested, Hancock pressed her advantage and threw out the most lethal bait:

"Furthermore, Senior Shiki, do you know if the legends of Sky Island might contain... a unique medical technique from ancient times, different from that of Qinghai? Or even... the secret of life restoration, or an ancient technology that could accelerate the recovery of your head injury? After all, it is a place isolated from the world and with a completely different civilization."

This statement truly hit the nail on the head regarding the Golden Lion's weakness!

The ship's rudder above his head has been a source of pain and a hindrance to his recovery for many years.

Not to mention that being suppressed by Hancock and clashing with Rayleigh these past few days has severely damaged his self-esteem.

Although Hancock promised to help him find a cure, progress was slow.

Anything that could accelerate his recovery and help him return to his peak condition held an unparalleled attraction for him!

Shiki's eyes sharpened instantly, and he stared intently at Hancock.

"Little girl, are you telling the truth? Does the Sky Island have a way to heal my injuries?"

"I cannot guarantee 100%."

Hancock said frankly, but with a confident tone.

"But the Sky Island civilization is unique, and there's a high probability that it possesses unknown technologies. Rather than waiting here, it's better to go up and explore it yourself. If you find something, you can remove your heavy headdress sooner and regain your full strength. At that time, who on this sea can stop you, Golden Lion Shiki?"

She cleverly used the concepts of "restoring strength" and "returning to the peak" to stimulate Shiki's ambition.

Shiki fell silent. He floated to the ground and paced around the hall.

He didn't care about the gold; the Poneglyphs and ancient weapons were what tempted him, and the hope of healing his injuries was something he couldn't refuse.

A moment later, he abruptly stopped, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous yet excited light:

"Hehehehe!! Good! Well said! I'm practically rusting from being stuck on this island of women! A sky island, huh? Who cares if it has gold, Poneglyphs, or some kind of bullshit medical knowledge? If it might be useful to me, why not go up and take a look!"

He waved his hand with great flair, displaying an air of heroic spirit.

"Divide it however you like! What I want is to regain my strength! Little girl, when are we leaving?"

Hancock felt reassured, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Senior is very generous! In that case, let's not delay any longer and set off in three days. I will take Robin with me; her abilities are crucial for deciphering the Poneglyphs and identifying ancient technologies."

"Nicole Robin? That survivor of Ohara? Heh heh heh! Good! With her around, she saves me a lot of trouble!"

Shiki laughed, already considering the Sky Island as his own.

"It's a deal then! Three days from now, I'll take you to the sky island!"

Seeing the Golden Lion's rekindled fighting spirit and its subtle "cooperation" attitude towards him.

Hancock knew that this trip to the Sky Island was not only for the gold and the Poneglyphs, but also a crucial step in consolidating the cooperative relationship with the Golden Lion and further binding his interests together.

"Well then, it's a pleasure to work with you, First Mate Shiki."

Hancock nodded slightly, turned and left, her skirt tracing an elegant arc.

Behind him, the Golden Lion Shiki laughed wildly, eagerly anticipating the upcoming "hunt."