One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 486: The End of a Legendary Pirate

Upon seeing the blood leaking from the helm embedded in Shiki's skull, everything became clear.

"Sigh…"

Whitebeard exhaled deeply and turned around.

"We're leaving."

He didn't know why, but a deep loneliness welled up inside him.

"Pops?" his crew questioned in confusion.

Marco's chest tightened at the sight of his father's back.

Whitebeard was nearly sixty.

How much longer could he stay with them?

As the crew's doctor, Marco knew how badly Pops' old battle wounds were catching up to him.

"Set sail!" Marco shouted, seeing no further movement on the battlefield.

At his command, the Whitebeard Pirates hurried to withdraw.

---

Elsewhere, Caesar was also baffled.

"What's wrong with Uncle Shiki?"

Tesla, most adept with Observation Haki, quickly sensed the truth. "It's that helm stuck in his head. It's affecting his brain."

"So… is the battle over then?" Caesar asked, eager to leave.

Esdeath looked up at Shiki's erratic flying and sighed.

"A hero, a master swordsman... to be brought low by chronic illness. How pitiful."

Without another glance, she turned and walked toward the cabin.

"Big sis—" Tesla called out.

"Let's go home. Report this to Father," she said, not looking back.

---

In the sky, Shiki cradled his head, barely keeping consciousness, and flew back to his flagship.

He crashed onto the deck.

"Boss Shiki!"

"Captain!"

"Admiral!"

His crew swarmed around him.

"My head! My head's going to explode! Medic! Where's the medic?!"

The Flying Pirates froze.

"Move! Clear the way!" Indigo rushed forward.

"Captain's head condition is acting up! Get him to the medical bay!"

He barked orders to the nurses.

"Fall back! Quickly!"

Seeing everyone hesitate, and Big Mom's forces drawing closer, Indigo shouted again.

"Why are you still standing around? Retreat!"

That snapped them back to their senses.

"Shiki-sama is down! We have to retreat!" someone yelled, triggering panic.

Chaos erupted among the survivors.

The Flying Pirates fell into total disarray.

Indigo grabbed Shiki and fled, leaving those who couldn't catch up to fend for themselves.

The already battered crew crumbled completely.

Big Mom's forces wiped them out.

Only Indigo's group escaped.

---

"Momma! Should we pursue them?" Perospero ran up excitedly.

They had defeated one of the Four Legendary Pirates—the Flying Pirate Admiral Shiki—and proven the strength of the Big Mom Pirates to the world.

Now, the New World would belong to the Three Great Pirate Crews.

They would reign like emperors.

No one would dare underestimate Big Mom again.

Charlotte Linlin watched Shiki's retreating ship and recalled his pathetic breakdown.

She frowned.

Why hadn't she finished him off?

She laughed bitterly. "Forget it. Let's head back. Shiki's no longer a threat. This territory now belongs to the Big Mom Pirates! Mamamamamama!"

Her laughter echoed through the skies.

The Big Mom crew roared in celebration.

"We defeated Shiki! The Big Mom Pirates are the strongest in the New World!"

Even after three days and nights of battle, their energy was undiminished.

The war was over.

The Big Mom Pirates turned for home, and scouts from all factions rushed to report what had happened.

---

On Carmé Island

"Is that so? A sudden brain attack... that's unfortunate," Sharo said after hearing Tesla's report.

"Who got sick?" asked Red Count, pausing mid-fishing cast.

"Who else? Shiki. During the Ed War, a ship's helm got embedded in his head. It finally caught up with him. He lost control and fell to Charlotte Linlin," Sharo explained.

Red Count remembered the helm sticking out of Shiki's skull.

"This defeat will break him. He's too proud. Knowing he lost to Charlotte Linlin... I wouldn't be surprised if he spirals into despair. Even back in Impel Down, he was mentally unstable. Who knows how he'll take this."

Sharo nodded. "He's probably lost the will to fight for supremacy. If he's smart, he'll go into hiding and live out his final years quietly. But knowing Shiki... he might plot a comeback."

"What a shame," Red Count sighed.

---

Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters

An emergency meeting was convened.

The Marines had anticipated conflict the moment Shiki returned to the New World, knowing he'd clash with one of the three major pirate crews.

But they hadn't expected him to challenge Big Mom—the weakest of the three.

Everyone assumed Charlotte Linlin would lose.

After all, she had suffered defeat after defeat—first to Sharo, then to Whitebeard and again to the Rockefeller Pirates. She held the least territory of any Yonko.

And yet, this underestimated pirate queen had just defeated the Golden Lion.

The Marines were caught completely off guard.

And their view of Shiki changed dramatically.

---

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