"Um!?" Spandam suddenly stopped flipping through Bruno's notebook. He'd noticed the World Economic Forum inexplicably featured many "handsome" photos of the Rhodes Pirates, almost like a personal photo album. But one picture caught his eye: a girl with long black hair and a radiant smile. Though different from previous bounty posters, Spandam instantly recognized her.
"O'Hara's orphan, son of the devil, Nico Robin!" Spandam's eyes sparkled with excitement. This was a crucial figure from over a decade ago. She was the sole survivor of the Buster Call that destroyed O'Hara, a relentless target of the World Government. She was an archaeologist who defied orders to study forbidden history!
"This is a great achievement that is no less than the design of Pluto!" Spandam clutched the notebook, a fire burning in his eyes. "Go now and find her!" He stood up, addressing Rob Lucci and the others.
"Who?" they asked, puzzled. Spandam held up the notebook, showing them Robin's photo. "This woman is the child of the devil—Nico Robin!"
"Nico Robin?" They nodded slightly.
"Then let's go and find her before dark!"
Rhodes Pirates' Shopping Spree and a Familiar Face
In Lavis Island's Central Business District, Penguin and the others were on a shopping spree, now flush with cash. "Kumo(cloud) beef, I heard it's cultivated specially, the meat is very delicious!"
"And this one can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. It's a very good food supplement!"
"This one too…" They bought everything Minina pointed out. "Buy buy buy!! Buy them all!"
Their cart was completely full, and they still had 50 million Baileys left from Tesoro's gold bricks. "That guy is really rich!" Penguin exclaimed, then grinned at the thought of their annual 5 billion Baileys income. "But we will have money in the future! As expected, he is Boss Rhodes. He has found a long-term meal ticket for everyone."
"Bepo, do you know how long it will take for the magnetic force here to be fully charged?" Penguin asked.
"So delicious!" Bepo, sharing skewers of meat with Minina, paused, then shook his head.
"It will take five days for the island's magnetic force to fully charge," Baccarat interjected, having seamlessly integrated into the crew with her cheerful demeanor. She found them surprisingly easy to get along with, despite their captain's "domineering and overbearing" personality.
"Five days! So boring." Nia sighed dramatically, hanging onto Minina, her taller frame making the pose look comical. "This island is so boring, Sister Minina!" Nia, impatient by nature, was bored since Rhodes had destroyed the main casino, Lavis's biggest attraction.
"Don't worry. I guess Captain Rhodes may not wait on the island until the magnetic energy is fully stored before setting off." Robin smiled gently, comforting Nia. After spending time with her, Robin understood Nia's playful, cat-like nature despite her calm appearance.
"That's true," Nia brightened. They had several permanent log poses. They could just head to Alabasta, which sounded far more interesting than staying here. She'd rather fight Genos a few more times on the Polaris than spend five more days bored. "I remember that Law seemed to have bought a few permanent pointers before." This meant more options.
Suddenly, everyone stopped. Several figures in black suits stood before them, led by a man with short purple hair and a leather mask over his face, flanked by others in various masks.
"Found you, Nico Robin!" Spandam gloated, a malicious smile spreading across his face. The operation was going perfectly; he'd found Robin so quickly.
"CP organization!" Robin's expression shifted slightly. She recognized the aura emanating from them—they were intelligence agents of the World Government.
"It seems you know it, that makes it easier," Spandam's smile widened. "Since we are here, you should know that you can't escape!" He gestured to Pekin and the others. "These are your new companions, right? Let's make a deal." Spandam adopted a reserved smirk.
"Just surrender and follow us obediently. And I will let them go. Not only that, I will also propose to the World Government that Rhodes become the new Seven Warlords of the Sea." Spandam watched their shocked faces, his smile growing. "How about such conditions?" This was the chance to become a Warlord; no pirate could refuse! He'd capture Robin, gain immense credit, and solve the World Government's problem of finding a new Warlord. Killing two birds with one stone! He congratulated himself on his brilliance.
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Spandam, now aware of Nico Robin's presence on Lavis Island through Bruno's notebook, abruptly changes CP9's mission from pursuing the Pluto blueprints in Water 7 to capturing Robin. Meanwhile, Pekin and the rest of the Rhodes Pirates, enjoying their new wealth from Tesoro's alliance, embark on a lavish shopping spree. Baccarat reveals the Log Pose will take five days to charge, much to Nia's impatience, though Robin reassures her that Rhodes likely won't wait.
Their shopping is interrupted by Spandam and CP9, who directly confront Robin. Spandam, playing his hand, offers Robin a "deal": surrender, and in return, he'll let her companions go and even propose Rhodes as a Seven Warlord of the Sea. This unexpected proposal aims to secure a major capture and a promotion for Spandam.