The moment Ortoren set foot on land, before he could even steady himself, a shadow rushed in front of him. In the next instant, his hand was seized and shaken hard twice.
"Oh! This must be Rear Admiral Benn Ortoren, the famous name I've seen so often in the papers! The one who punched Charlotte Linlin, trampled Kaidou, and hammered the Red Count! Back then, I thought the photos in the newspaper didn't do you justice. Seeing you in person now, there's no mistake—this heroic aura of yours simply can't be captured in print. Incredible, incredible! Truly an honor!"
The barrage of flattery almost left Ortoren dizzy. Honestly, this was the first time he had ever been on the receiving end of something like this, and he had to admit... it felt pretty good.
Taking a closer look, the man's face was sly, yet his black suit gave him a sharp, capable air. Ortoren recognized him at once—it was Spandine, the commander of CP-9, none other than the father of that useless Spandam in the original story.
But as far as Ortoren remembered, Spandine was supposed to be weak. So how was he laying it on so thick, and so fast, that it nearly threw him off balance? Maybe it was true—practice makes perfect.
No wonder Gion called him a crafty one. As a CP agent, he was smooth enough in front of Marines to be the very definition of "slick."
As the saying goes, you don't strike a man who greets you with a smile. Since Ortoren bore him no grudge, he answered with a warm smile of his own.
"You flatter me. I'm just a newcomer to the Marines—I don't deserve such lofty praise. Commander Spandine, on the other hand, you are clearly sharp, capable, and outstanding. I hope that in the missions ahead, we can work closely together to uphold justice and bring all evil to account!"
His words caught Spandine off guard. Given the stiff relationship between the Marines and CP, and the fact that Marines typically looked down on CP agents, he had braced himself for a cold reception before Ortoren even arrived.
He never expected Ortoren to show him such respect.
So it hadn't been for nothing, lowering his own status to make a connection.
That's right—lowering his status. Spandine was, after all, CP-9's commander. In terms of World Government hierarchy, his position equated to the privileges of a Marine Vice Admiral. By comparison, Ortoren had only been a Rear Admiral for a few days. Their standings were clearly different.
"Of course, of course! We all serve the World Government. Cooperation is only natural!" Spandine responded quickly before hurrying over to greet Gion.
But he kept his manners measured. With Ortoren, he was enthusiastic and forward. With Gion, he didn't extend his hand quite so eagerly.
Still, Gion wasn't overbearing. She didn't use words as sweet as Ortoren's, but she gave Spandine enough respect.
After a short exchange, Spandine led Ortoren and the others inland.
He was a man who got things done. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become CP-9's commander at such a young age, climbing the CP ranks step by step. Later, with his experience and connections, he even managed to force his useless son into the same position.
As they walked, Spandine said, "With Marine support this time, I believe we can quickly resolve this scholars' case. Before now, we were..."
Ortoren listened, occasionally interjecting with a question or two about the details.
Before long, he had the general picture. And it wasn't good. The so-called progress was no progress at all.
The CP had been working for months, and they hadn't caught a single suspect or uncovered a single clue.
No wonder Spandine was so enthusiastic. Bringing in the Marines could be seen as asking for help, but it also meant sharing the burden.
As they chatted, they soon entered the inner area of the Enies Lobby CP agency. Before long, as they passed a training ground, Ortoren stopped in his tracks and looked over.
Inside, a group of children around ten years old were enduring the blazing sun as they trained their bodies.
Seeing Ortoren's interest, Spandine explained, "Those kids are our new CP-9 recruits for this year. They're gifted orphans selected from around the world. We raise them from a young age, instill our beliefs in them, and in five or six years, they'll become a new generation of CP-9 agents, carrying out justice from the shadows."
Ortoren nodded, but his eyes stayed fixed on one boy. The boy looked no older than ten, still very young, yet his face struck Ortoren with a strange sense of familiarity.
Rob Lucci—later hailed as CP-9's most talented and powerful member in 800 years.
Whether he was truly the strongest was debatable. That slogan was probably just for morale, but there was no denying his talent. As a mere Zoan user, he once stood as the strongest enemy the Straw Hat Pirates had ever faced, and his later showings were impressive as well.
Still, Lucci's strength was not overwhelmingly brilliant, but neither was it weak.
This, Ortoren thought, was understandable. Lucci's life experiences had kept his potential from being fully realized, so his later strength never truly matched his reputation.
If memory served, the kid started doing missions at just thirteen. And CP missions were mostly espionage, meaning Lucci was likely forced into long-term undercover assignments.
Take the mission in Water 7, for example. He infiltrated as a shipwright and remained undercover for seven years. For all that time, he worked day after day repairing and building ships until he became one of Water 7's most renowned shipwrights. Just imagine—if instead of spending those seven years in a workshop, he had devoted them to training, his strength would have been on a whole different level!
That was why Ortoren froze when he saw Lucci. This was a real gem. Keeping him in CP would only waste his potential. But in Ortoren's hands, there was a real chance he could be raised into admiral-level combat power.
Especially since Lucci very likely hadn't even eaten a Devil Fruit yet!
At the very least, he would grow into an elite Vice Admiral. It was a guaranteed win.
And since Spandine had just said this batch of recruits only arrived this year, they hadn't yet been brainwashed into mere tools. That made it the perfect time to step in.
"Excellent. Seeing this spirited new generation, I can't help but feel the future of our World Government is bright!" Ortoren praised before adding, "That boy in particular—I felt an immediate connection with him. I was just promoted to Rear Admiral, and I'm short on a young aide to fetch tea and water. If Spandine-sama is willing, could I take that boy with me?"
Spandine was caught off guard. Marines recruited far more people every year than CP ever did—was it really necessary to poach someone the very first time they met? Wasn't that a bit abrupt?
But as an intelligence officer, he had already done a detailed background check on Ortoren before this meeting. He knew well the young man's standing. Close to the Marine Hero Garp, a direct disciple of Admiral Zephyr, now serving directly under Admiral Sengoku, and on top of that, he had even established ties with Fleet Admiral Kong back on Feller Island. Combined with his own extraordinary talent and the formidable strength he had already displayed, it was clear—
It wouldn't be long before Ortoren became a key figure in the Marines.
From both his personal ability and the powerful connections behind him, Ortoren was an investment well worth making.
As the saying goes, "better to send charcoal in the snow than flowers to brocade." Ortoren was just about to rise, and building ties with him now was the best way to maximize returns. Spandine's success within the World Government wasn't just due to ability—it was also because of his sharp instinct for such opportunities.
Yes, the Marines and CP were supposed to maintain a rigid relationship. That was the main theme. But in truth, there also needed to be a buffer, a lubricant. That role was crucial, and Spandine had his eyes on it.
After all, CP units with rigid ties to the Marines were everywhere. But one that maintained smooth relations with them—that was rare.
And being rare carried weight.
After thinking it over, Spandine smiled warmly. "We all serve the World Government, which makes us family. Why draw a line between Marines and CP? We both fight for justice. If Rear Admiral Benn has taken a liking to one of our recruits, doesn't that prove the point? No problem—I'll decide it now. Which one caught your eye?"