"Um!?"Spandamsuddenly stopped flipping throughBruno’snotebook. He’d noticed theWorld Economic Foruminexplicably featured many "handsome" photos of theRhodes 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’sorphan, 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 theBuster Callthat 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 ofPluto!" Spandam clutched the notebook, a fire burning in his eyes. "Go now and find her!" He stood up, addressingRob Lucciand 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,Penguinand 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 everythingMininapointed 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 isBoss 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,"Baccaratinterjected, 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."Robinsmiled 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 toAlabasta, which sounded far more interesting than staying here.She’d rather fightGenosa 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!"Spandamgloated, 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 theWorld 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 newSeven 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 ofNico Robin’spresence on Lavis Island throughBruno’snotebook, abruptly changesCP9’smission from pursuing thePlutoblueprints inWater 7to capturing Robin. Meanwhile,Pekinand the rest of theRhodes Pirates, enjoying their new wealth fromTesoro’salliance, embark on a lavish shopping spree.Baccaratreveals the Log Pose will take five days to charge, much toNia’simpatience, thoughRobinreassures her thatRhodeslikely 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 proposeRhodesas aSeven Warlord of the Sea. This unexpected proposal aims to secure a major capture and a promotion for Spandam.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com