CP9's commander, Spandine, who had once hoped to earn another promotion, died covered in stench atop a rotting plank. There was no coffin, not even a cloth to cover him or a rolled-up straw mat. Out on the vast sea, there was nowhere to bury him.
Under normal circumstances, tossing him into the sea to feed the fish would have been best. But the two CP9 agents feared they would be unable to explain themselves to their superiors, so they could only take turns swimming while hauling their commander's corpse toward land. By the time they finally spotted an island more than ten days later, Spandine's body had decayed beyond recognition.
However, to the Five Elders who controlled the World Government, whether Spandine was dead—and even how he had died—was not important. What mattered was that the Golden Den Den Mushi had been lost during that attack and had not been reported in time, delaying the plan to destroy Ohara.
Then again, from another perspective, this had given Ohara a period of time that was not particularly long, but was absolutely crucial.
Mousse and Robin brought the terrible news Sauron had told them to warn Dr. Clover. Yet it was not until several days later, when Robin's mother, Nico Olvia, also returned to the Tree of Knowledge, that the old man finally believed the World Government had resolved to sever Ohara's historical legacy entirely:
"They only left you alive to interrogate you? The other thirty-three were all killed? How could they do that? How could they?! Those were thirty-three scholars! Not ordinary civilians!"
Dr. Clover was finally afraid. He did not fear being killed himself, but rather the destruction of Ohara's academic and cultural heritage, along with the countless precious books stored within the Tree of Knowledge.
Thus, Ohara's seven