One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 488: Shiki's Fury

Shiki lay on the operating table. Though unconscious, the contorted pain on his face showed the agony hadn't subsided. Blood still trickled from the helm embedded deep in his skull.

Indigo stood frozen, torn between panic and resolve.

"Boss… don't blame me for shaving your hair. This is to save your life," he muttered.

Gritting his teeth, Indigo sheared off Shiki's proud golden mane—leaving the once-lustrous hairline a bald patch surrounding the helm.

Then he stared at the helm impaled into Shiki's cranium, now exposed in full.

"This… I can't remove this at all," he whispered, horrified. The helm was fused with critical nerves. A single wrong move could kill Shiki—or worse, leave him permanently deranged.

Indigo dared not try.

"First, stop the bleeding," he decided.

Hours passed.

At last, Shiki's brow relaxed, and a rare, peaceful expression replaced the torment.

"Whew," Indigo exhaled, drenched in sweat. "He's stable. Barely."

He cleaned up the operating room and stepped outside.

"How is the captain?" asked a mob of Flying Pirates gathered at the door.

They weren't all loyal—many were simply dependent on Shiki's name to maintain their status. As long as the Flying Pirates existed, they retained their positions in the pirate world.

"He's alive," Indigo said, wiping his brow. "As for when he'll wake up… check back tomorrow."

The pirates shifted uneasily. Most of their officers had died at the hands of Katakuri. The survivors were scattered, and no one dared take charge.

"Stay put," Indigo ordered. "Don't reveal this location. We'll wait for the captain to recover."

The crew murmured in confusion.

—

Several days passed.

Shiki's condition improved gradually.

One morning, a sharp groan broke the silence.

"Ahh…"

The room sprang to life.

"Boss!"

"Captain!"

"Admiral!"

Everyone rushed to Shiki's side.

Shiki slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the chandelier above.

"Back up! Give him space!" Indigo shouted, pushing through the crowd and collapsing dramatically beside the bed.

"Captain! You're awake! I thought I'd never see you again!" he wailed.

Shiki groaned, holding his head, clearly irritated. "Where… am I? Wasn't I fighting Charlotte Linlin?"

Indigo's sobs abruptly stopped.

"Well… you, uh, had a sudden attack… your mind went blank… The Flying Pirates fell apart. Big Mom's crew took us down one by one," he muttered.

"…What did you say?" Shiki's eyes bulged with fury. He sat up—

And screamed.

"AAAHH!"

The pain surged violently through his head.

"Boss, please don't move! That helm in your skull—it's fused with your brain! Any stress could kill you!" Indigo panicked.

"Wha—What?!" Shiki cried, gripping his head.

"It's pressing on your nerves. If you get too emotional, the pain flares up. In the worst case… it could kill you."

Shiki glared at him. "Can it be removed?"

Indigo froze. "W-Well… there's no tech for that right now… but maybe—if we had a special Devil Fruit…"

Shiki's face darkened. Indigo blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"The Surgery Fruit! The Ope Ope no Mi!"

"…What is that?" Shiki asked coldly.

"It's a mythical Devil Fruit that can heal any injury or disease! It might save you!"

Indigo had no idea if it was true. But he couldn't let Shiki sink into despair—not unless he wanted to be sliced in half.

"Where is it?" Shiki asked.

"I-I don't know… but if we search, we'll find it! Don't give up, boss!"

Shiki slowly got up, swaying from dizziness.

"Find it. Find the Surgery Fruit. Use every resource!" he roared.

His voice thundered. His kingly aura exploded outward, shaking the room.

The crew scrambled in terror.

Shiki staggered out of the room and into the sunlight.

Looking up at the sky, he clenched his fists.

"No… I, Shiki the Golden Lion, will not lose! Roger—I won't lose to you!"

His Conqueror's Haki erupted, flattening nearby trees.

"Boss, calm down! You'll die at this rate!" Indigo begged, heart pounding.

Shiki growled… and forced himself to breathe.

Just then, a shadow dropped from the sky—a newspaper gull.

Shiki caught the newspaper as it fluttered to the ground.

He read the headline—and froze.

"Flying Pirates Annihilated—Shiki Suffers Brain Attack. Big Mom Declares Victory."

"WAAAAHHHH!!! CHARLOTTE LINLIN, DAMN YOU!!!"

Shiki screamed.

His blood surged.

His mind went blank.

He collapsed, still clutching the paper.

Indigo blinked.

"…Boss?!"

---

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