Rocks' unparalleled Conqueror's Haki overwhelmed even Golden Lion Shiki, who had unleashed his own. The sheer force of it left Shiki gasping for breath, unable to properly control his Float-Float Fruit powers. Even his seawater attack was completely negated by the dark curtain of Rocks' abilities.
Realizing the vast difference in strength, Shiki immediately manipulated his pirate ship to rise into the sky, retreating from the battlefield. This act only solidified Rocks' interest in him—an ability like the Float-Float Fruit was worth recruiting.
Bloodfist Skaredo watched Shiki, his expression heavy. Their captain might talk tough, but this storm, combined with the sheer disparity in power, left them with no real options.
Today, the Flying Pirates had only two choices—surrender or be utterly annihilated like so many others in the New World.
"Captain Shiki, you are a lion of the skies. You shouldn't be weighed down by weak crewmates like us. One day, you'll gather stronger subordinates and sail freely across these seas again."
Skaredo understood well—numbers meant nothing in the New World. Only powerful officers made a crew formidable. These large pirate fleets, assembled from strays across the four seas and the Grand Line, crumbled instantly before true might.
"No, Captain Shiki, please don't abandon us! We should join the Rocks Pirates together. With your strength, you can become one of Rocks' strongest officers!"
A young officer pleaded in fear, glancing between Shiki and Skaredo. Was Skaredo really suggesting their captain flee alone and leave them behind to die?
Shiki looked at his crew, pained. Maybe he should have taken a different approach from the start. Managing a grand fleet was a waste of time and effort, yielding little in combat strength. Worse yet, the loyalty of such a crew was never guaranteed.
"That's right, Captain! You recruited us in Sabaody. You're responsible for keeping us safe!"
These pirates had just witnessed the sheer terror of Rocks D. Xebec. Even looking at him sent shivers down their spines, as if his gaze alone could crush them.
"Shut up! All you do is drink and party! None of you take training seriously! Since joining Captain Shiki, have you contributed anything at all?"
Skaredo sneered at these so-called crewmates. If not for Shiki's obsession with a massive fleet, Skaredo would have advised him long ago to be more selective with his recruits.
Shiki watched as his crew descended into infighting. The once-proud lion of the skies now hung his head in frustration.
He recalled seeing Brook's latest bounty poster. The musician's bounty had already surpassed his own, and he had an incredibly powerful, albeit small, crew. At that moment, Shiki felt a pang of envy. Brook's crew was undoubtedly loyal to him, unlike his own. Other than Skaredo, the rest of them were weak and self-serving. Maybe he was better off without them.
"Captain, we should surrender!"
More and more crew members voiced their willingness to give in. None of them wanted to die. If they joined the Rocks Pirates, they could use their new status to dominate others instead.
Skaredo seethed with rage as he watched them pressure Shiki into surrendering.
"Have you all forgotten? The Rocks Pirates destroyed our fleet! Our comrades died at their hands! And now, instead of seeking revenge, you want to grovel and surrender?"
Skaredo wasn't particularly sentimental about the lost fleet members, but they had died as part of the Flying Pirates, and that alone was worthy of respect.
"We became pirates knowing the risks! But right now, we have a chance to survive!"
"Skaredo, lower the Flying Pirates' flag and raise the white flag."
Shiki's voice was devoid of emotion, as if he had already accepted his fate.
"Captain, does this mean you've decided to join the Rocks Pirates?"
One officer, thrilled, avoided using the word "surrender" and instead framed it as "joining," giving Shiki a way to save face.
Amid the storm, Skaredo lowered the pirate flag, his eyes red with emotion. He looked at Shiki, his face wet—whether from rain or tears, he wasn't sure.
Shiki took the flag from him and walked toward the cabin.
Meanwhile, aboard the ship, the crew of the Rocks Pirates noticed the white flag rising from the Flying Pirates' ship.
"Captain Rocks, looks like the Golden Lion is finished. He's surrendering."
Miss Buckin smirked. Using a simple weather prediction to trap a rising star like Shiki in a storm was all it took to bring him down.
But Rocks frowned. As someone who wielded Conqueror's Haki, Shiki shouldn't have surrendered so easily. He should have fought until his strength was completely exhausted before yielding.
Was his willpower really that weak? No, something wasn't right.
Under Rocks' command, the ship surged through the storm, waves crashing against its hull as it neared the Flying Pirates' vessel. Rocks wanted to see for himself what Shiki was up to.
At that very moment, on the far side of the Flying Pirates' ship—hidden from view—part of the hull burst open. A small, four-person dinghy, stocked with fresh water and provisions, was quietly lowered into the raging sea.
"Captain, are you sure this is the right move? Are we really leaving them behind?"
Skaredo hesitated, barely believing that Shiki was actually abandoning the crew and making a run for it.
"I'll never bow my head to anyone. As for those bastards who tried to make me surrender... they can rot."
With Shiki's Float-Float powers, maneuvering a small dinghy was much easier than controlling an entire pirate ship. He took Skaredo with him not just because he was the most loyal, but also because Skaredo wasn't a Devil Fruit user—meaning he could save Shiki if things went south.
Guiding the small boat away from the Flying Pirates' ship, Shiki used his powers to descend safely onto the water's surface. Both men rowed with all their strength, trying to escape the storm.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Flying Pirates' ship, the remaining crew watched the approaching Rocks Pirates, unaware of Shiki's escape. Their captain had already made his choice—surrender and save face.
"We're about to be part of the Rocks Pirates! From mere supernova crew members to joining a crew that rules the New World."
"Wait... Captain Shiki and Skaredo are gone!"
A lower-ranked crew member, noticing some noise from the cabin, went to investigate. Finding the door locked, he circled around the ship—only to spot a small boat already several hundred meters away, carrying Shiki and Skaredo into the distance.
"Captain Shiki has escaped!"
With this, Shiki's legendary journey was about to take an unexpected turn.
+100 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg