Lucci knew in his heart that once they had all been captured, they no longer had any real options left.
Even so, he still found it difficult to make the decision right away.
The other CP9 members kept stealing glances at him, clearly waiting for him to take the lead.
Will, standing nearby, noticed their hesitation and spoke up again to persuade them.
"Deep down, you all know it too. Even if I didn't do anything, the higher-ups would still purge you for failing the mission."
"After all, those people who specialize in using tools have zero tolerance for useless ones."
The moment the words left his mouth, Lucci and the others immediately pictured Spandam's repulsive face.
They had long seen through that scumbag's true nature—shameless, insidious, vicious, cowardly, sycophantic, and opportunistic. Every ugly descriptor fit him perfectly.
If Spandam learned of their failure, he would never send anyone to rescue them. Instead, he would pin the entire blame on them to save himself.
The massive commotion from their earlier defeat at Will's hands, along with the information that had almost certainly leaked during their journey back to the Galley-La Company headquarters, meant Spandam was probably already scheming how to use them as scapegoats.
This mission concerned the blueprints of the ancient weapon Pluton and the "Devil Child" Nico Robin. To the World Government, its importance could not be overstated.
At that thought, Lucci made his decision. He slowly raised his head and replied calmly:
"'Madman' Will… I have to admit, you're right."
"I accept your deal."
Seeing Lucci speak, the rest of CP9 nodded in agreement.
"We agree as well."
Will wasn't surprised. A kind smile appeared on his face.
"Excellent. A wise man submits to circumstances. You've made a very smart choice today."
"Now, start by telling us everything you know about your superiors and any other relevant information."
At the same time, inside a metal house somewhere in Water 7.
The iron-masked subordinates who had fled from Dock 1 were tearfully reporting what had happened.
"Boss Franky, that's how it went…"
Franky listened, then abruptly stood up. He flicked back his upward-sweeping blue-green hair and let out a strange cry.
"Aaah—ming~!"
"How dare they do this to my subordinates?! Even Iceberg is unforgivable!"
As he spoke, he suddenly leaned to the right, slammed the five-pointed star tattoos on his massive forearms together, and roared at the ceiling.
"Hmm… SUPER~!"
The iron-masked men around him immediately shouted with excitement.
"Big Bro is the strongest man in Water 7!"
Franky curled his lips, then turned and strode toward the door.
"Alright, I'm going to find Iceberg and demand an explanation!"
Galley-La Company Headquarters.
After listening to the intelligence provided by the CP9 members, satisfaction showed on Will's face.
"Very good. I didn't expect your boss, Spandam, to have come to Water 7 himself."
He had originally assumed Spandam would stay hidden in Enies Lobby like in the original timeline. He hadn't expected the man to personally accompany the CP9 team. This would save him a great deal of trouble later.
Robin's expression, however, was tinged with worry. She couldn't help but remind him:
"Will, we still need to be careful with Spandam. They mentioned he carries a golden Den Den Mushi that can trigger a Buster Call."
"If he actually presses it, things could get very troublesome."
Having personally survived a Buster Call, no one understood its terror better than she did. Even Will and the others would face serious danger if it were activated.
"Don't worry, Robin," Will said with a carefree smile. "Spandam is the type who's terrified of dying. A life-saving trump card like the Buster Call won't be used until he's truly cornered."
He turned meaningfully toward Lucci and the others.
"And as long as you people kill him quickly once you get there, he won't have the chance to press it."
Lucci narrowed his eyes slightly when Will looked at them, then replied calmly:
"Don't worry. He won't get the chance."
He had never taken that cowardly piece of trash seriously. Even if Spandam pulled out the golden Den Den Mushi, he would only use it to threaten others—he would never dare push the button himself.
What surprised Lucci more was that Will seemed completely unconcerned about the Buster Call.
"Very good. Let's move out now," Will said, standing up with a smile. "You're all injured, but taking care of a Spandam should still be easy enough, right?"
"Hmph."
Lucci's face immediately showed a trace of arrogance. Despite struggling to stand, his expression remained calm.
"Trash like him? Any one of us could handle it easily."
Even so, he understood Will's true intention. By sending all of them together, Will wanted every member to participate in killing Spandam—proof of their resolve to abandon CP9.
The other CP9 agents understood this as well and stood up one after another.
"Good." Will smiled and turned to give instructions. "Issho, I'll leave this place to you for now. For the Spandam matter, it's enough if Eneru, Robin, and I go."
He wanted Robin to come mainly because he remembered the original story. Robin's first bounty had been issued by Spandam's father, Spandine—the man who had personally pressed the golden Den Den Mushi and triggered the Buster Call that destroyed Ohara. There was deep-seated hatred between them. Letting Robin witness the death of Spandine's son felt only right.
"Don't worry, Captain," Issho replied slowly, his calm and gentle voice inspiring confidence.
Lucci was the first to move. He walked to the side, pushed open the balcony's French doors, and vanished in a flash. The other CP9 members followed right behind.
Eneru turned into a bolt of lightning and shot after them at even greater speed, heading toward the sea train station the agents had mentioned earlier.
Will walked over to Robin, picked her up in his arms, and reminded her gently:
"Hold on tight, Robin."
Robin leaned into his strong embrace, wrapping her arms around him. A soft smile appeared on her face.
"I'm ready, Captain Will."
Whoosh—!
Will said nothing more. He flashed out of the balcony, leaped high into the air, and accelerated rapidly as he flew across the sea.
The CP9 members, who had left earlier and were leaping between rooftops using Moonwalk, suddenly noticed a shining bolt of lightning streaking past them at incredible speed, followed by a completely unconcealed figure soaring through the sky.
"That guy… he really is terrifying," Jabra muttered. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he watched the figure disappear into the distance. "Flying at high speed for so long using Moonwalk… his leg strength is just ridiculous."
Kalifa recalled the power of Will's punch. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she pushed up her glasses.
"'Madman' Will… his fists are incredibly powerful too. Even Lucci was knocked down with just two punches."
Lucci's face darkened at the reminder.
"Chababa~ So Lucci actually got crushed?" Fukurou unzipped his mouth and exclaimed. "No wonder he's the captain of that blind old man. That guy's strength is terrifyingly strong."
"Hey hey hey, no way! Lucci really got taken down in two punches?" Jabra grinned while leaping. "Did you get rusty after spending too long undercover with Iceberg? Looks like you need more training later."
Lucci's expression turned cold. He replied calmly:
"Listen carefully, Jabra. Just because I lost to him doesn't mean I'm weak, and it certainly doesn't mean you're strong. If you're not convinced, we can settle it properly another day."
Though he had suffered a crushing defeat this time, Lucci refused to believe his talent or potential was inferior. The result simply proved that Will's current strength far surpassed his own. Once he grew stronger, he would definitely challenge that man again.
'Madman' Will—I will be the one to defeat him!
His eyes burned with determination.
"Hmph!" Jabra's eyes lit up. He grinned. "Deal! I want to see whether your skills have declined after all these years undercover."
Blueno, who had stayed silent, suddenly spoke in a low voice when the others quieted down.
"By the way… should we try to slip away using my Door-Door Fruit?"
His voice was barely a whisper. If they hadn't been close, no one would have heard it.
Jabra, Fukurou, and Kumadori were visibly shaken by the suggestion.
However, Lucci, Kaku, and Kalifa showed no reaction.
Lucci, who was leading, rejected it outright.
"It's useless. Unless you plan to stay inside your 'Door' forever, there's no escaping that man's sight."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Jabra frowned, confused.
Kaku quickly explained:
"Because 'Madman' Will possesses Observation Haki with an extremely wide range. When you guys were defeated, his crew made a phone call. The three of us were still conscious and heard everything."
"While reporting, they already knew in advance that you had attacked Robin. The crew member on the phone even mentioned that Will has powerful Observation Haki."
Kalifa adjusted her glasses as she leaped between rooftops and added:
"When you gave your intelligence earlier, you mentioned the hotel you went to. Judging from the distance between that hotel and Dock 1, Will's Observation Haki can cover at least half of Water 7."
She, Lucci, and Kaku had already analyzed this after hearing the full report indoors.
The other four—except for the relatively calm Blueno—showed shocked expressions.
Although they felt Lucci and the others' analysis was likely correct, they still found it hard to accept.
As CP9 elites who had trained for years, they had only mastered the Six Powers and hadn't even touched the threshold of the Three Colors of Haki. Yet according to Lucci's group, that man's Observation Haki could already cover half the city. It sounded unreal.
Lucci glanced at them but said nothing more.
Simply knowing about the Observation Haki was probably enough to kill any thoughts of escape. Beyond that, there was also the mysterious power he suspected was Conqueror's Haki—something the others hadn't yet guessed at.
Add in the lightning man, who was clearly monstrously strong, and the blind old man who had handled Jabra and the rest. At this moment, Lucci had no desire to remain their enemy.
Only by surviving would he have the chance to one day surpass the man who had given him his first taste of crushing defeat.
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