Before long, Wilder figured enough time had passed. He had had his fill of wine, so he stood up and walked to the counter.
After settling the bill, he stepped out of the tavern, and someone immediately came up to meet him.
Wilder didn't need to guess; it was undoubtedly one of Doflamingo's men.
"Mr. Wilder, please follow me." As the leader of a nation, Doflamingo's etiquette was impeccable. He probably figured Wilder had had enough time and, to prevent him from wandering around aimlessly, had sent a subordinate to guide him.
"Thank you for the trouble," Wilder said, nodding at the attendant with a smile.
The attendant was an elegant, middle-aged man with the demeanor of a butler. He smiled, his clothes and mannerisms proper and refined. He walked on Wilder's right, maintaining a position two steps behind.
"May I ask what brings Mr. Wilder to Dressrosa this time?" he asked, his eyes crinkling as he walked.
The probing begins?
Still, the purpose of his visit wasn't something that needed to be hidden.
Wilder's expression remained unchanged. He smiled faintly. "Mr. Doflamingo and I hit it off right away when we first met. I've long intended to pay him a visit, but unfortunately, I could never find the time. This time, I've come, one, because I finally have the chance to visit, and two, primarily to discuss a business deal with Mr. Doflamingo. Our two nations have great potential for cooperation."
"I see. That is truly an honor," the attendant's smile widened, and he seemed to relax a little. As long as he hadn't come with malicious intent, that was good.
"Your country's culture and customs are something the Kingdom of Morass cannot compare to," Wilder said, looking at the surrounding scenery and offering generous praise, his smile appearing quite sincere.
"Hahaha, not at all, not at all. Your country has only just been established, so it's natural that some things are a bit more ordinary. I believe that under Mr. Wilder's leadership, your country will soon be a prosperous one."
No matter where you go, this kind of mutual flattery is inevitable. Hearing Wilder's words, the attendant's face swelled with pride and honor.
Before long, the two of them officially entered the royal palace grounds.
It was only then that Wilder realized the man beside him was no mere attendant, but the head civil official of Dressrosa, the person truly responsible for governing the country.
Of course, he was only in charge of internal affairs, such as the country's internal development. He had no contact with military matters. This was a man who survived by his intellect.
It made sense. How could this country be so well-governed if it were only run by Doflamingo and a handful of his cadres?
The mundane affairs of a nation had to be handled by ordinary people.
In this respect, Wilder could be said to be ahead of the curve in this world. His country had many ordinary civil servants and officials. Of course, to prevent overlapping duties or conflicts arising between the ordinary and the extraordinary, Wilder knew he had to make a series of changes when he returned.
Things were different now. He had a large country, so he couldn't rely on a group of people who only knew how to fight and kill. At the same time, if ordinary people were to govern the country, he had to ensure they were not threatened by the extraordinary.
These "extraordinary" people referred to those of his subordinates who lacked political acumen.
Wilder already had a rough idea in mind.
They soon arrived at the front of the main palace hall, where a tall, pink figure was already standing at the entrance to greet them. The "attendant" stopped and said to Wilder, "Well then, His Majesty Doflamingo will personally receive you from here. I have state affairs to attend to, so I shall take my leave." With that, he even bowed to Wilder.
Despite being the head of the country's administration, in this world where power was paramount, he actually had very little status.
Wilder didn't mind. He nodded to the man and walked forward, meeting Doflamingo's gaze.
As he walked, a smile spread across his face.
As he drew close to Doflamingo, he had already opened his arms, letting out a hearty laugh. "Nyehehehe! It's been a long time, Doflamingo!"
Doflamingo also put on a smile filled with aristocratic charm. He met Wilder with open arms, quickening his pace for a few steps, his demeanor warm, like two old friends reuniting after many years.
"Fuffuffuffu! Welcome, my good friend!"
Both were masters of hypocrisy. When one showed a hint of falsehood, the other could instinctively respond in kind without a second thought.
The two shared a formal, heavy embrace, their hands clapping each other's backs with force, as if not hitting hard enough would be a sign of disrespect.
Feeling the heavy blows from each other, they separated in mutual agreement.
"Fuffuffu, I prepared a magnificent banquet upon hearing of your arrival, Wilder-kun," Doflamingo said, extending a hand in an inviting gesture.
"Is that so? Then I must have a good taste of your court's grand feast, Doflamingo-kun," Wilder replied with a smile. The two exchanged pleasantries as they walked into the palace.
Doflamingo's royal palace was naturally steeped in aristocratic atmosphere. The decorations were, of course, top-notch. What surprised Wilder, however, was that Doflamingo's taste in style was quite similar to his own.
Just as Doflamingo had said, the palace had been prepared like the scene of a luxurious ceremony.
The long table was laden with all sorts of exquisite delicacies: desserts, meats, fruits, vegetables, fine wines, and the unique specialties of Dressrosa. It had everything one could ask for.
In addition to the main table, the entire hall was filled with many round tables, also laden with food. There were fountains, a stage, and more.
There were dancers and cheerful music. The dancers moved through the hall, little people from the Tontatta Kingdom leaped about, and toy people performed artistic feats. The scene was grand and very enthusiastic.
All of this was done, of course, because Wilder was a man who deserved it.
Doflamingo did not dare to underestimate Wilder in the slightest. He hadn't underestimated him since the Summit War, let alone now, with the achievements he had attained.
At this time, people were already waiting around the long table. Seeing Wilder and Doflamingo enter, they quickly stood up respectfully. Of course, this respect was only for Doflamingo.
"Fuffuffu, they are all my family, Wilder-kun. Let me introduce you. This is Diamante," Doflamingo said, pointing to a man in a red outfit, dressed like a Native American.
Wilder nodded and gave Diamante a friendly smile.
"Heh..." The other returned a sinister smile. Of course, it wasn't intentionally aimed at Wilder. He wasn't a fool; he knew that even his own Young Master had to treat the man before him with caution. To go out of his way to offend him would be idiotic. His smile was just his natural expression.
"This is Pica," Doflamingo said, pointing to a tall man beside him. He was dressed in golden armor, his muscles explosive. His helmet had sharp, upturned metal spikes. By all appearances, he was a true powerhouse.
This was one of Doflamingo's three top executives.
"I am Pica."
Seeing Wilder look at him, Pica nodded his head heavily, looking nervous. The high-pitched voice that came out, so at odds with his appearance, almost made Wilder burst out laughing.
Hold it in!
Don't laugh!
Fortunately, Wilder's self-control was excellent, and he managed not to laugh. Instead, he gave Pica a friendly smile.
Doflamingo was very satisfied with this scene. He had actually been a little nervous just now. If Wilder had laughed, he didn't know if he would have had to make a move. He would not allow anyone to insult his family.
"This is Trebol."
Trebol was also one of the three top executives. He was a sticky, snot-like mess of a man, giggling foolishly.
Wilder nodded and smiled as usual.
Doflamingo didn't introduce the others. He nodded to Wilder and invited him to take a seat.
"Everyone, please sit."
The others sat down one after another.
It was clear that Wilder, as a guest of the same rank as Doflamingo, was seated in one of the two most honored positions—at the ends of the long table. Wilder sat with his back to the door, while Doflamingo faced it. The others sat on either side.
Taking advantage of the moment, Wilder glanced at the others and got a good sense of them.
It could be said that all the cadres of the Donquixote Family were present. Even King Riku's sister-in-law was here.
The user of the Glare-Glare Fruit.
An ability that allowed for seeing through things and seeing far away, wasn't it?
The pose to activate the ability was just a bit awkward.
Wilder guessed that he had been discovered by this woman; otherwise, Doflamingo wouldn't have known of his arrival so quickly.
The atmosphere during the meal was very harmonious. Wilder not only chatted enthusiastically with Doflamingo but also made sure not to neglect the others. His performance could be said to have taken everyone into account, making it difficult for anyone to feel any animosity towards him.
This was a quality that any diplomat should possess. It was clear that Wilder had achieved this, and to an excellent degree. This was incredible for the person he used to be; even now, he was slightly surprised by his own performance.
Is it a talent brought about by a strong soul?
It wasn't impossible. No one could guarantee what strange changes would occur when two souls merged. Wilder found that the longer he was in this world, the more he integrated into it. His behavior, speech, and other aspects, though still influenced by the knowledge of his past life, no longer produced any feelings of disgust, contempt, or looking down on the customs of this world.
In short, he was very accepting of everything in this world, but at the same time, he had his own independent set of views and instincts, which were the knowledge brought from his past life.
Looked at from another angle, he was a native of this world who stood at the peak of a high mountain, possessing a far-reaching perspective that allowed him to overlook the world.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the small talk came to an end, and it was time to get down to business.
The others had cleared out at some point. Everything in the large hall had been cleaned up, and the tablecloth on the long table had been replaced with a fresh, clean one. In the middle were a potted plant, a few bottles of wine, and an ashtray.
Doflamingo and Wilder sat opposite each other, silent.
The large hall fell into a strange silence, so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop.
Doflamingo quietly looked at Wilder sitting opposite him, his gaze filled with naked inquiry.
Flick!
Wilder lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and then slowly exhaled a stream of unrestrained smoke. He lifted his eyelids and looked at Doflamingo.
In the silent, empty hall, the first words came from Wilder's mouth.
"I have a business deal. I wonder if you're interested?"
"Fuffuffu. What is it?"
Wilder took another drag of his cigar and said lightly, looking at Doflamingo, "Munitions."
"You want munitions?"
"No. I'm providing you with munitions."
The hall fell silent again.
Doflamingo raised a finger and tapped it gently on the tabletop, seemingly in thought.
Wilder wasn't in a hurry. He continued to smoke, blowing clouds of smoke.
After a long time, Doflamingo finally grinned. "Fuffuffu, as you know, my arms business has always done very well."
Wilder understood the meaning of this sentence. It was basically saying, If it's about munitions, it's probably a no-go. I'm already big enough on my own.
Wilder was not at all surprised by this.
Doflamingo had built his empire on the arms trade. His weapons were sold all over the world, and his scale was enormous.
But those were just the common munitions on the market.
Since Wilder had come with this in mind, he naturally wouldn't have come with the intention of selling ordinary arms. Besides, his own munitions department didn't sell many ordinary arms to the outside world. The East Blue was one thing, but since coming to the New World, he hadn't had much income from this area because the pie in the New World was already divided up. It wasn't easy to get a piece of it, at least not in the short term.
Wilder had already anticipated Doflamingo's reaction. He looked at him straight on and then grinned as well.
He said lightly, "What if they're munitions that aren't on the market?"
Munitions not on the market...
Hearing this, Doflamingo's mind started racing, searching through his memories of Wilder from the past year.
Finally, something appeared in his mind.
Doflamingo shot to his feet, leaned forward, and stared intently at Wilder, his eyes radiating a pressuring and dangerous light. His face was serious, yet he was grinning. "Machine guns?"
Wilder smiled at this and replied, "Yes."
Doflamingo regained his composure, straightened his clothes, and sat back down with an elegant yet incredibly unrestrained posture.
He leaned back, his legs stretched out straight on the tabletop, and a smile on his face.
The politeness from their initial meeting was completely gone.
Now that he had the answer he wanted, what was there to be uneasy about?
Next, they just had to talk quietly.
Wilder, on the other hand, rested one arm on the back of his chair, smoking his cigar with a calm and steady expression.
He knew. The deal was done.