Pieklo's words amused Lloyd.
Behind the white mask, no one could see the faint curve of his lips.
Galette's expression shifted with interest as she turned to Stussy, clearly curious about how she would respond. Being openly provoked in front of everyone was not something easily ignored.
Yet Stussy's reaction completely defied expectations.
Instead of anger, she let out a soft laugh. Her eyes flicked toward Lloyd beside her as she spoke lightly.
"Pieklo, your taste is quite refined, but you are being a little rude."
Pieklo shrugged, utterly unconcerned.
"Stussy, I am not in the business of pleasing people, so manners are meaningless to me. Someone like him staying with you is a waste, why not hand him over to me?"
His grin widened as he turned his gaze toward Lloyd.
"Well, kid? Interested?"
Lloyd did not respond.
Before he could even dismiss it, Stussy suddenly leaned into Lloyd's arms, her tone turning soft, almost aggrieved.
"Zero, you would not leave me, right?"
Lloyd gave a silent nod.
Pieklo scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Worthless. Seems I misjudged you."
Stussy slowly raised her head. The warmth on her face vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness. Her narrowed eyes locked onto Pieklo.
"Pieklo, you are going too far."
Pieklo casually ran his fingers along the sickle in his hand and sneered.
"So what? What are you going to do, throw your women at me until I collapse?"
The atmosphere instantly soured.
Galette and Boir both frowned, especially Galette. As the host representing the Charlotte Family, this was nothing short of a direct insult.
Galette raised her wine-red gloved hand. A sphere of transparent liquid gathered in her palm as her voice turned firm.
"Pieklo, watch your words and behavior. Everyone here is a guest of the Charlotte Family. Anyone who deliberately causes trouble will be treated as an enemy. Do you understand what that means?"
At the mention of the Charlotte Family, Pieklo's expression stiffened.
Even someone like him could not ignore their authority, especially here, on their home turf.
He forced an awkward smile.
"My apologies, Galette."
Galette shook her head.
"You should be apologizing to Stussy."
Pieklo's expression darkened, resentment flashing through his eyes. Still, he suppressed it and gave Stussy a reluctant apology. Without waiting any longer, he stood up and turned to leave.
But the moment he took a step, a hand in a black glove landed on his shoulder.
Pieklo froze.
He turned sharply and was met with a cold white mask.
"You are leaving just like that?"
Galette's pupils shrank slightly.
She had not even seen Lloyd move.
The speed alone was enough to unsettle her.
The commotion drew the attention of everyone in the hall. Pieklo snorted and tensed his shoulder, trying to shake Lloyd off.
It did not move.
The hand pressing down on him felt like a mountain. No matter how much force he used, it remained completely immovable.
The expressions around the room began to change.
Pieklo was losing.
Figures like Morgans exchanged glances, barely concealing their amusement. Pieklo's arrogance had long made him unpopular among them.
As an emperor of the underworld, his strength was undeniable, especially as the head of assassins. That strength had fed his arrogance, making him overbearing in dealings with others.
Now, under everyone's watchful eyes, his pride was being crushed.
A dark sheen spread across his shoulder as he activated Armament Haki.
But in the next instant
Crack
The sound of bone shattering echoed through the hall.
Galette's eyes widened in disbelief. Lloyd's fingers had sunk into Pieklo's shoulder as if the Armament Haki protecting it were nothing more than thin paper.
The pain hit instantly.
Pieklo tried to scream, but before any sound escaped
Crack
His jaw snapped open violently.
No one saw Lloyd move.
They only saw the result.
A spray of saliva burst from Pieklo's mouth as it hung uselessly open.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Even those who had only wanted to see Pieklo embarrassed were now completely shocked. In Lloyd's hands, the once-arrogant underworld boss looked no different from a helpless child.
Where had Stussy found someone like this?
Fear finally crept into Pieklo's eyes.
Lloyd leaned slightly closer, his voice low and controlled.
"It is dinner time. Causing a disturbance is not appropriate, do you agree?"
Pieklo nodded frantically.
Only then did Lloyd release him, slowly pulling his fingers free from the shattered shoulder.
Pieklo trembled violently from the pain, yet not a single person pitied him.
At this moment, all eyes in the hall were fixed on Lloyd.
Completely indifferent, Lloyd removed the bloodstained glove and casually stuffed it into Pieklo's mouth.
Several people twitched at the sight.
Pieklo, utterly humiliated, clutched his shoulder and staggered out of the hall.
Lloyd calmly returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
Galette stared at him, momentarily lost.
"So you are this strong…"
What Lloyd had shown was clearly only a fraction of his true power. She could not help but wonder how Charlotte Katakuri would evaluate him.
Not far away, at another table marked with the symbol "66," several figures watched the scene.
At the center sat a man with wild golden hair and a golden helmet, his gaze fixed on Lloyd's back.
"Where did Stussy find someone like this?"