Running Under the Setting Sun, That Was Lost IQ

Spandine and Spandam, father and son, had long wanted to get rid of CP9. But Rono was different. At this rate of development, Rono would definitely enter CP0 in the future, becoming a direct subordinate of the Celestial Dragons and a bodyguard target for those Celestial Dragon clans. (Some say Spandine is a Celestial Dragon, but the author still doesn't believe it. If he were a Celestial Dragon, it wouldn't fit Spandine's personality to not have an Admiral go after Luffy when Spandam was disfigured, so here Spandine is just a high-ranking official.)

But who was Spandam? The legendary bad teammate who could turn a normal difficulty dungeon into a hell difficulty dungeon. Would he listen to his father?

Then the previous scene happened.

Rono easily caught up to Mr. Spandam, whose Power Level was a "whopping" 8. He swung a claw.

A few strands of Spandam's hair were cut off. Spandam's legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground with a plop. Spandam recalled his days running in the sunset, that was his lost IQ.

"Officer~, why are you sitting on the ground?" Rono retracted his Bone Planting Armament, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Hmph!" Spandam realized he wasn't dead yet and angrily took it out on Rono, "Hurry up and help me up!"

"..." Rono silently mourned for his father for a second. Raising such a son must be tiring.

"Officer Spandam, are you asking me to help you up?" Rono bent down, his nose almost touching Spandam's.

"N-no need." Spandam finally realized his awkward situation and didn't dare to act rashly again.

"I knew it. How could someone as powerful as Officer Spandam not be able to stand up?" The mockery escalated, Mockery LV2.

Although Spandam was an idiot, his ability to fawn and flatter was top-notch.

Knowing that Rono was someone he couldn't afford to offend, his attitude did a 180-degree turn.

He got up as if he had forgotten Rono's humiliation, patted Rono's waist (due to height difference), "That was just a small test just now, don't take it to heart. Come, I'll host a welcoming banquet for you."

"Ah~ As long as they don't care, I don't mind." Rono absentmindedly gestured towards the Marines who were about to receive their bento boxes. He still had a system mission waiting for him.

Spandam summoned Marines to clean up the traces of battle and the bodies.

"Let's skip it today, Officer Spandam. Look at me, I'm covered in blood. I should take a bath and have a meal first."

Rono picked up the flower pot and his luggage and followed Spandam to a small courtyard. Spandam handed over the key, exchanged a few pleasantries with Rono, and left.

"System, when does the time start counting?" Rono was asking about the handstand push-ups.

"Ugh! That's disgusting! Go take a bath quickly, it'll start in 10 minutes." The system's Little Shota appeared above Rono's head, covering his nose in disgust.

Rono also breathed a sigh of relief. He was covered in blood. If he started doing handstand push-ups without showering, Rono felt he wouldn't be able to stand it.

Rono could manage a night of handstand push-ups. With Super Regeneration in hand, Mother no longer had to worry about his muscle strains and soreness. It was just that the system's requirements were too harsh, and he couldn't avoid suffering.

After Rono finished his bath, he started doing handstand push-ups in the room wearing only his underwear.

An hour passed. Rono endured three electric shocks, gritting his teeth and remaining silent. If Spandam knew the reason, it would surely become Black History.

The next day, as dawn broke, Rono finally completed the system mission. He lay in a puddle of sweat, sticking out his tongue.

In one night, Rono had suffered over 500 electric shocks, relying purely on willpower in the later stages.

Recovering his strength, Rono took a shower. He didn't eat, just collapsed into bed and slept.

He slept until the afternoon, waking only when his stomach protested. Rono looked at the cold food on the table and his favorability towards Spandam increased by one. After wolfing down the meal, Rono completed another system task, finally having some free time.

Rono found a shovel in the storage room next to the small courtyard and began digging a hole to plant a tree on the left side.

After working for a while, he finally planted the tree, watered it, and stepped back to admire his work with satisfaction.

"My taste is truly excellent," Rono said shamelessly.

"Lord Rono, where did you get this tree? I consider myself quite knowledgeable, but I've never seen a tree like this," Spandam said, appearing at the courtyard entrance at some unknown time.

"Heh heh, my taste is indeed top-notch. This tree is the only one of its kind in the world, grown through a series of coincidences. And I only spent 12 million to buy it." Rono was, after all, a 15-year-old boy, and Spandam's flattery was quite pleasing. It wasn't direct sycophancy, and Rono felt comfortable all over, thinking the tree was a worthwhile purchase.

"What! Only 12 million? Lord Rono, I must say, you got a great deal." Spandam was genuinely surprised.

"If it were put up for auction and preheated for two months, just the word 'unique' alone would make those Celestial Dragons bid over 200 million."

Spandam offered more praise, and Rono interjected occasionally.

"Alright, what did you need me for?" Rono's smile faded.

"Well, I do need you for something. One personal matter and one official matter."

Spandam organized his thoughts.

"Let's start with the personal matter."

Rono's simple statement made Spandam a little happy.

"Alright then, I apologize, Lord Rono. I was out of line yesterday." Although Spandam's IQ wasn't high and he wasn't adept at schemes (if Tom hadn't taken the fall for Franky, Spandam's plan would have been a complete failure), his emotional intelligence was very high. He knew when to yield and when to stand firm. Apart from a bit of a spoiled young master's temper, he was otherwise alright. Have you ever seen him bully the weak and oppress the good? Have you seen him exploit the common people? No. As for dealing with enemies, of course, you want to make them suffer as much as possible.

"What's our relationship? An apology would be too distant," Rono said familiarly. "Just call me Rono."

"That's even better. Rono, this matter isn't far from your mission location, otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered you."

"Oh? Where is it?"

"Alabasta."