The Crystal Gems arrive at the ancient Gem Communication Hub to destroy the malfunctioning antenna. Garnet (
Estelle) asks Amethyst (
Michaela Dietz) to
fuse with her to destroy it. Pearl (
Deedee Magno Hall) objects, cautious of the instability of Garnet and Amethyst's combined form, but Garnet dismisses her misgivings and fuses with Amethyst, producing Sugilite (
Nicki Minaj). Reveling in her immense size and strength, Sugilite begins recklessly smashing the pillars of the antenna with her giant, wrecking-ball–like
flail. When Steven (
Zach Callison) is hit by debris, Pearl takes him home, leaving Sugilite to finish the demolition alone. Moments after they teleport out, falling debris destroys the warp pad. Later, Steven shows off his injury to his friends Lars (
Matthew Moy) and Sadie (
Kate Micucci). When they mock how much Steven is making of a tiny cut, he proposes that they all need to become stronger, and enlists his father Greg (
Tom Scharpling) to build a makeshift gym on the beach. Steven explains to Pearl what he's doing: he wants to be stronger so he can be more useful, like Sugilite. When Pearl tells him, "There are different ways of being strong," Steven retorts, "I want to be strong in the
real way." As Lars, Sadie, and Greg begin their workout, Pearl sings the song "Strong in the Real Way", lamenting Steven's admiration of Sugilite's brute strength and hoping she herself can be a more positive role model for him. Steven sings a second verse, coaching the others in their workout before beginning his own. The next morning, Steven is too sore to move. Sugilite comes stomping up the beach, outraged that Pearl and Steven left her behind and unwilling to separate. She begins attacking Pearl and smashing Greg's gym. As Pearl despairs that she isn't strong enough to protect Steven, he grabs his megaphone and coaches her back into self-confidence. Heartened, Pearl allows Sugilite to chase her to the top of the hill, and then throws her spear at the cliff beneath Sugilite's foot so she loses her footing. Sugilite falls to the beach below, and her flail lands on her head, separating her. As Garnet and Amethyst reel on the sand, Pearl embraces them; and Garnet apologizes for not listening to Pearl's advice earlier. ==Music==