Hearing his subordinates' report, Spandine's face lit up with excitement. He immediately barked through the Den Den Mushi:
"Keep your eyes on her. Don't let her out of your sight. I'll be there at once!"
To the World Government, Nico Robin was a ticking time bomb. Capturing her meant great merit, and Spandine had long dreamed of being the one to bring her down. Now that her whereabouts had been "discovered," he wouldn't leave the matter to others—this was his chance to prove his worth to his superiors.
"Yes, sir," the two CP9 agents answered promptly under Buggy's watchful eye. They rattled off the false coordinates Buggy had fed them, then ended the call.
As soon as the line cut, Spandine gathered a squad of subordinates, boarded a Marine warship, and set sail from Enies Lobby toward Water 7.
Half a day later, the Den Den Mushi rang again. The agents, guided by Buggy, reported:
"Sir, we're at a small grove by the shore. Robin is hiding in the trees."
The hook was baited. Not long after, heavy footsteps echoed near the grove—over a dozen men approaching.
From within the shadows, Buggy saw the man leading them: a suited figure with a smug air. Spandine himself had arrived.
But before they could enter the grove, the man beside him—CP9's captain—suddenly stiffened, his sharp eyes narrowing. A strange unease washed across his face.
"Sir," he warned grimly, "something feels wrong. We shouldn't go in."
As CP9's captain, his instincts had been honed by years of deadly missions. The air here reeked of danger.
Spandine's brow furrowed for a moment—then smoothed into an arrogant sneer.
"This involves an important target. We have to go in. You'll lead the way. If there's danger, you'll deal with it immediately."
Robin, a mere girl, hardly seemed a threat to him. And with CP9's strongest captain at his side, what had he to fear? He would not be denied the prize.
The captain's jaw tightened. Though reluctant, he had no choice. Spandine had made up his mind. With a grim nod, he ordered several agents forward, leading the way into the grove.
As Spandine and his men drew closer, Buggy and his four companions—Shiryu, Enel, Lafitte, and Weevil—vanished with Soru, flanking the squad in all directions.
The ambush snapped shut.
Spandine halted, startled, but his arrogance didn't waver. He puffed out his chest, glaring at the intruders.
"Who are you people? Do you know who I am? I'm a government official, a CP9 commander! Do you want to die, standing in my way? I'll give you one chance—move aside!"
He had brought nearly all of CP9's elite operatives with him. Surrounded by strength, he believed himself untouchable. The thought that he was walking into a trap barely crossed his mind.
But CP9's captain wasn't so blind. His brows knotted tighter, unease thickening into dread.
"Sir," he muttered, "it's possible they lured you here. There may not be any 'important target' at all."
Spandine's eyes flickered with doubt.
"What? Impossible! Who would dare deceive me, a World Government officer? Do they have a death wish?"
Even as the suspicion gnawed at him, pride wouldn't let him fully accept it.
Buggy chuckled coldly, stepping from the shadows.
"Hahaha… You're right. We did lure you here, Commander Spandine. But relax—we only wish to… talk."
The captain's worst fears confirmed, his face darkened. But Spandine's fury erupted instead.
"You dared trick me? Do you know who I am?! Seize them, all of them! I'll show you the price of mocking me!"
At his command, the CP9 operatives surged forward.
Buggy's expression hardened. He had intended to exchange words first, but Spandine's arrogance left no room for dialogue. With a glance at his companions, he gave a small nod.
"Go."
Shiryu, Enel, Lafitte, and Weevil burst forth, clashing with the CP9 agents.
The fight erupted instantly. These weren't weaklings—the CP9 members fought fiercely, several wielding Devil Fruit powers.
At the center stood the CP9 captain, their strongest warrior. He was a master of the Navy's Rokushiki techniques, armed with Busoshoku Haki, and—most dangerously—possessed the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Hound. His hybrid form boosted both speed and strength to terrifying levels, placing his power on par with a Marine Vice Admiral.
Buggy targeted him directly. Their blows collided in a storm of force. Dozens of exchanges shook the grove—until Buggy unleashed his full strength, driving the captain into the ground with a single overwhelming strike. The man crashed unconscious into the dirt.
The remaining agents faltered, panic rippling through their ranks. Seizing the moment, Shiryu and the others pressed harder, cutting them down one by one.
Within minutes, CP9's elite squad lay defeated.