Conflict Erupts! The Straw Hat Pirates in Crisis!

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room plummeted to freezing point.

Even the sea breeze seemed to quiet down.

The last trace of mockery in Second Golden Lion's eyes vanished completely, replaced by a cold and sharp gaze. The power of the Float-Float Fruit surged around him, and pebbles slowly floated and swirled around the warship.

But he ultimately did not order the firing, nor did he personally swoop down to launch the attack.

It simply hovered in the sky, silently looking down at the crowd on the beach. The confrontation was like a bowstring stretched to its limit, hanging there but not yet released, with undercurrents surging, quietly waiting for the unknown variables to arrive.

A deathly silence hung heavy over the deserted island, and the tense atmosphere of confrontation made it hard to breathe.

Second Golden Lion stood silently on the observation deck of the floating warship, letting the sea breeze tousle his golden hair. His cold gaze slowly moved down, shifting from Luffy to lock onto Stussy behind the reef and Weevil standing bewildered in the middle of the beach.

A deep, commanding voice, carrying a chilling, condescending edge, abruptly shattered the silence.

"Are you two going to refuse me too?"

A simple question, carrying with it the immense pressure of Admiral-Emperor Level, crashed down.

There were no superfluous threats, but the chilling killing intent surging in his eyes was straightforward and undisguised—if anyone dared to utter even half a word of dissent, the next second would be a thunderous and deadly attack.

Weevil remained dazed, his dull mind unable to comprehend the power struggle before him. He merely instinctively gripped the giant blade in his hand, his massive body tensing slightly, appearing completely at the mercy of others.

All the pressure of making choices fell on Stussy's shoulders.

She huddled in the shadow of the rocks, her palms already soaked with cold sweat, her cane trembling slightly as she gripped it tightly.

She was all too aware of the terror of the blond powerhouse before her, and she also knew that she was now weak and useless, with no chance of fighting back.

If they insist on refusing, she and Weevil will only end up with nothing but bones.

After a long silence, Stussy slowly raised his head.

A stiff, unsightly smile appeared on her face, devoid of all calculation and arrogance, leaving only humble compromise.

"You flatter me." Her voice was dry and hoarse, each word tinged with helplessness. "It is our honor to receive your invitation, and I certainly will not refuse your kindness."

The resounding declaration of complete submission echoed across the beach.

High in the sky, the tense expression on the Second Golden Lion's face eased slightly, the coldness in his eyes faded a bit, and a satisfied smile, full of arrogance and a desire for control, slowly appeared.

Subduing the remnants of Whitebeard's lineage was his very purpose for this trip.

But the next second, his smile vanished abruptly, his gaze turning icy cold once more as he locked his gaze on the Straw Hat Pirates below.

The right hand is slightly raised at the side of the body and moved gently.

Buzz--!

The invisible power of the Float-Float Fruit instantly spread out, and countless pebbles and boulders in the nearshore waters around the deserted island broke free from the constraints of gravity and rose into the air.

Hundred Plans boulders of all sizes floated in mid-air, densely covering a small patch of sky. The sharp edges of the rocks gleamed with a cold, icy light, and a heavy sense of oppression overwhelmed the entire scene.

"Hehehehehe!"

The Second Golden Lion's arrogant laughter tore through the sky, filled with condescending mockery and cruelty, tinged with deep regret and ruthlessness.

"What a pity! Kid, you gave me the answer I dislike the most!"

The Setsuna he finished speaking, he pressed down sharply with his fingertips.

Boom!!

The countless suspended boulders plummeted violently, as if the sky were collapsing, and countless dark shadows, accompanied by Space Rend, crashed down on the Thousand Sunny.

On the deck, the shadow of death instantly enveloped Nami companions.

Nami's face drained of all color in an instant, her heart clenched tightly, her fingers gripped the Clima-Tact taut, and her whole body trembled with tension.

The gale whipped up pebbles and debris that lashed her face. She gritted her teeth and twisted the Clima-Tact, trying to quickly gather thunderclouds. Faint, pale blue lightning crackled and danced on the stick.

However, when faced with the overwhelming mass of giant rocks controlled by a power Admiral-Emperor Level, the power of that thundercloud was so insignificant as to be almost laughable.

"Franky! Hurry!" she cried out, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

Franky's shoulder-mounted cannon barrel emitted a burst of blue light, unleashing a series of beam cannon shots that slammed into the leading boulders.

The beam of light exploded, shattering only two medium-sized rocks; many more boulders continued to surge forward, breaking through the smoke.

Usopp's back was already covered in cold sweat. His hands moved quickly, pulling back the slingshot and firing a series of explosive Kakkō. Explosions and sparks rose and fell in mid-air, but they could only break off fragments from the surface of the rocks and could not stop the downward momentum at all.

His throat bobbed, his breathing became erratic, and he involuntarily took a half step back.

Robin's fingers flew, and several flower branches grew wildly from the cracks in the deck, trying to wrap around and support the falling rock. The blue flower branches had just climbed onto the surface of the rock when they broke off section by section under the terrifying weight, and the flower branches shattered into blue petals all over the sky.

Her brows were furrowed, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes.

Everyone was doing their best to save themselves, but in the face of this overwhelming power, all resistance seemed like a drop in the ocean.

On the beach, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji's pupils suddenly contracted, and the hairs on their bodies instantly stood on end.

"Nami!"

Luffy's voice suddenly changed, his body in Gear Second mode trembled slightly, and an overwhelming panic surged within him.

He watched helplessly as the boulder fell headfirst onto his companion, his mind filled with the image of his companion's peril. A surge of intense rage mixed with a profound sense of powerlessness rushed to his head.

He desperately wanted to rush over and stand in front of the ship, knocking all the rocks away.

Luffy's throat tightened, and his body burst forward instantly, reaching maximum speed with Gear Second activated;

Zoro brandished his three swords simultaneously, their blade energy instantly gathering momentum;

Flames surged beneath Sanji's feet as he leaped into the air. The three of them moved almost simultaneously, wanting to return to the ship as quickly as possible to protect their companions.

Just as the three were about to rush out, a burly black figure suddenly blocked their way.

It's Weevil!

Stussy, under the oppressive pressure of death high in the sky, had already gritted his teeth and given Weevil the order to stop him.

The giant, bewildered, obeyed the order. Its massive body blocked their path, and its giant naginata swept out with monstrous strength. The heavy wind from the blade caused the air to explode, forcefully sealing off all the three's advance routes.

Clang--!!

Luffy's rubber-hardened fist slammed heavily into Weevil's broad chest, but it only made the opponent stagger slightly, failing to force him back even half a step.