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

Hancock led Robin and Arya toward the shore, her gaze sweeping over Shiki the Golden Lion.

A barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed deep in his eyes as he looked at the rather "harmonious" scene around him.

Beside Shiki, two slender female warriors from Kuja followed closely.

They were not ordinary maids, but rather "accompaniments" carefully selected by Hancock and sent with her consent.

A girl named Xiao Lan has a cool and aloof demeanor and is skilled in observation and intelligence gathering.

Another one, named Xiao Lü, is lively, thoughtful, and knowledgeable in herbal medicine and basic nursing care.

Ostensibly, she was there to take care of the "first mate" Golden Lion's daily life, but in reality, she was Hancock's spy planted next to him, responsible for monitoring his every move and reporting back in a timely manner.

Shiki the Golden Lion was a man of great stature; how could he not see through Hancock's intentions?

But he just smiled arrogantly, not rejecting it at all, but accepting it readily and even enjoying it quite a bit.

"Little Blue, a cigar."

Shiki lazily stretched out his hand.

Xiao Lan immediately took out a fine cigar from a specially made humidor, skillfully cut it, handed it to him, and lit it for him with a small blue flame flickering from her fingertips.

"Little Green, wine."

Shiki took a deep breath and exhaled a smoke ring.

Xiao Lü immediately poured a cup of fragrant fruit wine from the jade pot she carried with her, offering it with both hands in a clear, crisp voice.

"Lord Shiki, please have some."

To Shiki's left stood a cool, aloof cigarette-lighting maid, and to his right a lively wine-pouring maid; he was quite content.

He even glanced at Hancock deliberately, his eyes seeming to say something.

"Little girl, I'm finding your eyeliner quite useful. Thanks!"

Hancock remained noncommittal; as long as the goal was achieved, she didn't care about the process.

On the other hand, Mr. 5, the former agent of Baroque Works, seemed much more miserable.

He was directly assigned by Hancock to be looked after by Sandasonia and Marigold, who were left behind.

"You two, keep an eye on him."

Hancock gave instructions to her two younger sisters.

"All the heavy physical labor on the island, such as repairing the city walls, moving stones, and cleaning the training grounds, will be assigned to him. If he dares to slack off..."

Hancock's beautiful eyes narrowed, subtly revealing an invisible aura of dominance.

Mr. 5 shuddered, remembering the fear of being run over earlier, and quickly nodded and bowed.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I will certainly work hard and never slack off!"

He inwardly groaned, thinking that working for a new boss would make things easier, but he never expected that he would still be destined to be a laborer.

Sandasonia and Marigold were full of fighting spirit at the moment, and were just worried about where to put the "important task" given to them by their sister. Upon hearing this, they immediately puffed out their chests and made their promises.

"Don't worry, dear sister! We'll definitely keep a close eye on his work!"

Two beautiful eyes stared sharply at Mr. 5, making him feel that the future was bleak.

However, in stark contrast to Mr. 5's treatment, Miss. receives special treatment on Valentine's Day.

The blonde woman, dressed in a tutu and possessing the ability to change her own weight, stood beside Shiki the Golden Lion with a mixture of trepidation and secret anticipation.

It was Shiki who personally asked Hancock for the person.

"Hehehe, that little flying girl looks quite interesting, and her abilities are not bad either. She should follow me; she might be of some use."

That's what Shiki said at the time, in a casual tone, but with an air of undeniable authority.

Hancock agreed after a moment's thought.

Miss Valentine's Float-Float Fruit ability might actually come in handy in an environment like Skypiea.

Placing it next to the Golden Lion not only satisfies the old man's perverse taste for "collecting" and "showing off his status," but also provides another angle from which to observe him.

This also isolates the two remnants of the Baroque studio, preventing them from connecting.

Get more in one fell swoop.

Thus, at this moment, Shiki the Golden Lion was surrounded by three women with very different styles.

Cool blue, lively green, and Miss Valentine, who is a little uneasy but tries her best to keep smiling.

He stood on the edge of the giant floating island, a cigar dangling from his lips, enjoying the "stars surrounding the moon" treatment.

Seeing Hancock approaching, she proudly raised her chin:

"How's it going, little captain? Pretty impressive, right? Can we set off now? I can't wait to get to that sky island and see what this so-called 'god' is all about!"

Under Shiki's control, the floating island emitted a deep rumble as it slowly adjusted its posture, preparing to carry new passengers and soar into the sky at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

Hancock nodded slightly and was the first to step onto this peculiar "ship".

Robin and Arya followed closely behind.

In the past few days, with the help of the Kuja navigator, Hancock has planned the best route to Apayado based on intelligence and memories from the original work.