A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"Doctor! Something's wrong! The port... another ship has arrived at the port! It's... it's a CP9 ship!"

CP9!

The scholars present were instantly taken aback by the name.

Rein frowned almost imperceptibly; he hadn't expected the World Government's lackeys to arrive so quickly.

It seems their surveillance of O'Hara was even more thorough than they had imagined.

The arrival of CP9 was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the unique tranquility of Ohara.

The leader was a tall, thin man with purple curly hair and an iron mask on his face, who looked both sleazy and neurotic.

He was Spandam's father, who was currently the head of CP5 and would become the future commander of CP9.

He led a team of CP members dressed in black suits and strode off the ship with an imposing air. He immediately spotted the colossal Ancestral Turtle in the harbor, which resembled a mountain, and the Whitebeard Pirate Flag fluttering in the wind. His expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

There was fear, greed, and a hint of... self-righteous euphoria.

"The Whitebeard Pirates?!"

Spandam's voice trembled slightly: "What are they doing here? Could it be... could it be that they're here for that thing too?"

His purpose in coming here was to investigate rumors about ancient weapons in Ohara on the secret orders of the Five Elders, and to seize the research results of the scholars.

The appearance of the Whitebeard Pirates now instilled fear in him instinctively, but then a bolder and more insane plan quickly took shape in his mind, which was filled with power and desire.

If... if we could frame the Whitebeard Pirates for Ohara's crimes, making them fight amongst themselves, and then reap the benefits...

What an incredible achievement that would be!

The thought of using this opportunity to rise to the top made Spandam's breathing become heavy. He looked at the Whitebeard Pirates as if they were walking promotion orders.

"Everyone, listen up!"

Suppressing his elation, Spandam gave a loud order to his men, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

"The Whitebeard Pirates have colluded with the rebellious scholars of Ohara in an attempt to revive the Ancient Weapons and overthrow the world! This is an unforgivable crime! Immediately surround the Tree of Knowledge and kill all those who resist on the spot!"

He actually wanted to use a fabricated charge to drag both sides into the mess at the same time.

Although the CP members felt the order was somewhat hasty, obedience was their duty.

Dozens of agents proficient in the Six Arts instantly dispersed, forming a large, closing black net that surrounded the Tree of Omniscience.

However, before they could run a few steps, a huge, mountain-like figure descended from the sky and blocked their path with a loud crash.

It's Gatz.

He carried the anchor, his massive body like an insurmountable wall, his face filled with honest anger.

"Hey! You bunch of guys in black suits! Our head chef hasn't finished picking the flowers yet! Don't go and bother him!"

"court death!"

One of the CP members snorted coldly, and his figure disappeared from the spot in an instant.

"shave!"

He appeared behind Gatz with a speed too fast for the naked eye to detect, his fingers hardening like steel.

Finger gun!

However, his fatal blow, which was powerful enough to pierce steel plates, only produced a dull thud when it struck Gatz's muscles, which were as hard as steel.

The feeling was like trying to poke a piece of top-quality beef tendon that had been boiled for three days and three nights with a toothpick. Not only did you fail to pierce it, but you almost broke your finger instead.

"So...so hard!"

The member of the CP (couple pairing) looked horrified.

Gatz turned around, scratched the spot where he had been poked, and asked innocently, "Are you tickling me? Tick harder!"

As he spoke, he swung the anchor backhand.

Before the CP member could even utter a scream, he was smashed into an indescribable mosaic by the giant anchor carrying terrifying wind pressure.

The battle began and ended in that very instant.

Spandam was so frightened by the absurd scene before him that the iron mask on his face almost fell off.

"A monster!"

He screamed, his voice trembling with fear, and was about to order the shooting.

Just then, a calm voice came from the direction of the orchid garden. It wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"It's noisy."

Raine had already collected all the True Tears he needed and was now slowly walking over, carrying his food supply box.

He glanced at the mosaic on the ground, then at Spandam, who was jumping around, and frowned slightly, as if he were looking at a dish that had been completely ruined by not cooking it properly and had a terrible appearance.

"The worst thing for a great chef is to have a swarm of flies buzzing around him while he is handling top-quality ingredients."

Raine's gaze finally landed on Spandam. His eyes were calm and undisturbed, yet they made Spandam feel as if he were being watched by a predator, and his blood seemed to freeze.

Chapter 240 The Flame of Hope

"What...what do you want to do?!"

Spandam's voice was trembling.

"I am the head of CP5, the World Government! If you dare to lay a finger on me, you are making an enemy of the entire world!"

"World Government?"

A subtle smile curved at the corners of Ryan's lips, a smile that held a hint of amusement that made Spandane's heart tremble.

"Perfect timing! I've just developed a new dessert and I'm in need of a guinea pig to try it out."

As he spoke, Ryan took out something from his food box that looked like an ordinary cake, wrapped in special parchment paper.

He unfolded the oil paper, and an indescribable aroma, a mixture of extreme sweetness and a faint hint of sadness, instantly filled the air.

"This is something I made with pollen from the Tears of Truth, mixed with honey from the Island of Gluttony and a little bit of Nightmare Heart powder. I call it Honesty Red Bean Bun."

Ryan handed the seemingly harmless cake to Spandane, his smile turning mischievous.

"Come on, have a taste. After you finish eating, perhaps you can tell me what your real purpose is in coming to Ohara this time."

Spandam stared at the honest red bean bun in front of him, which exuded a deadly aroma, and swallowed hard.

Reason told him that there was definitely something wrong with this thing.

But that deep-seated craving for ultimate deliciousness was like an invisible hand, gripping his throat and making it impossible for him to say no.

"I...I won't eat it!"

Spandam's voice trembled as he tried to back away, only to find his legs rooted to the spot, completely unresponsive.

"Aren't you going to eat it? That would be such a waste."

Renn shook his head, a regretful expression on his face.

He didn't try to persuade him further, but simply handed the cake to little Robin, who had been looking at him with curiosity the whole time.

"Little sister, are you hungry? Here, please have this."

"Thank you, big brother!"

Robin's eyes lit up instantly. She happily took the cake and opened her little mouth to take a bite.

"do not want!"

Dr. Clover and Spandam exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

However, it was too late.

Robin had already taken a small bite.

The next second, all the emotions in Little Robin's big, black gem-like eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an absolute, unadulterated calm.

"The cake is delicious."

She said in a monotone, emotionless voice, “The sweetness was tinged with bitterness, like the feeling after reading a tragic epic. I felt my mind was clearer than ever before, and I could even recall my mother’s smiling face on the first day I was born.”

This food review, brimming with philosophical reflection, coming from the mouth of a four-year-old girl, stunned all the scholars present.

Spandam watched this scene, cold sweat already forming streams on his forehead.

"Now, do you want to eat?"

Ryan handed him another honest red bean bun.

This time, Spandam dared not resist at all. He took the cake with trembling hands, closed his eyes, and took a big bite as if he were going to his execution.

As the cake entered his mouth, Spandam's body jolted violently, and his eyes, which were always full of calculation and lewdness, instantly became dull and empty.

"what about the taste?"

"Rain asked calmly."

"It's delicious."

Spandam answered in a flat, monotone tone.

"It's sweet but not cloying, and melts in your mouth. It reminds me of the heartfelt joy I felt when I first successfully framed a colleague and sent him to Impel Down."

Everyone: "..."

"Then tell me, what is the real purpose of your trip to Ohara?"

"We are here on the secret orders of the Five Elders to investigate whether the scholars of Ohara are secretly researching the Void Century of History and to search for the whereabouts of the legendary ancient weapon, Hades."

"If any clues are found, immediately activate the Buster Call and wipe the entire island, along with all those who know the truth, off the map. But my plan is to frame the Whitebeard Pirates, who happen to be here, to test their true strength and deter all forces around the world that are trying to uncover the truth of history."

Spandam was like a faithful tape recorder, recounting the World Government's conspiracy word for word.

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Dr. Clover and the scholars of O'Hara were pale, their eyes filled with disbelief and boundless rage.

They never imagined that the knowledge they had devoted their entire lives to pursuing would be seen by the world government as a heinous crime worthy of bringing about the destruction of an island.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates also wore angry expressions.

"Bastards! These despicable bastards! They actually want to use us as pawns!"

Gatz's roar even drowned out the waves.

Newgate's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water, and a terrifying killing intent suddenly erupted from his body.

What he hates most are these cowards who hide behind the scenes and scheme.

"So, one last question."

Raine's voice rang out again, and he looked at Spandane with an incredibly deep gaze.

"Where did you hide the research materials on the historical texts that you stole from the scholars?"

"Hidden in a secret compartment in the captain's cabin of my flagship is the fabricated evidence I prepared to use to curry favor with the Whitebeard Pirates for their collusion with Ohara."

Having received all the answers he wanted, Ryan nodded in satisfaction.

He snapped his fingers, and Spandam's body went limp, collapsing straight down into a deep sleep.

Rein turned around and looked at the scholars who were filled with despair and anger because of the truth, and said calmly, "Gentlemen, the World Government's conspiracy has been exposed, but the danger is not over."

"You have two choices."

"First, stay here and wait for the World Government's next, even more violent retaliation, and then be ruthlessly wiped out like countless other islands in history."

"second……"

Raine's gaze swept over the enormous Tree of Omniscience, then looked at the primordial giant tortoise in the distance, which resembled a moving continent, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Bring all your books, all your knowledge, and yourselves, onto my ship."

“My ship is very big, and the kitchen is also very big. What I need is a library and a few scholars who can help me translate ancient recipes.”

Raine's words stunned all the scholars.

Looking at the young man before them, and then at the pirate ship carrying a group of monsters, a flame of hope ignited in their eyes for the first time.

Ultimately, under Dr. Clover's leadership, the scholars of Ohara made the craziest, yet most correct, decision of their lives.