Minecraft wiki entry for Defeating_an_End_city, associated text: Because end ships contain extremely rare items, it is recommended to put the items in an ender chest. If the end city doesn't have one, but you brought an eye of ender, a diamond pickaxe and a crafting table, just mine the obsidian on the bottom of the ship and then you can make an ender chest. Just like the dragon head, mine the purpur blocks around the obsidian and place blocks under the obsidian to prevent the obsidian from falling down. You can also simply mine the obsidian and then jump off the edge of the ship, be sure to place some water on the bottom before you hit the ground.