"Ignoring gunshots, reanimating corpses, enhanced speed and strength, and ice magic..."
Mr. Dragon's eyelids drooped as he mulled over these words, finally nodding.
"Two hundred million Berries is a bit expensive, but I don't intend to haggle. This is my sincerity for our first transaction."
"Then, a pleasant cooperation!"
Luo Yan stood up and bowed slightly to Mr. Dragon. Mr. Dragon immediately rose as well, not accepting the full bow. He looked at the Revolutionary Army member who had been waiting nearby and instructed him:
"Bring a den den mushi. I need to contact Lindbergh."
"Yes!"
The Revolutionary Army member saluted and quickly ran into the cabin. Soon, he emerged holding a palm-sized den den mushi. Mr. Dragon didn't take the den den mushi, but instead picked up the receiver from its back directly.
As a "Buru Buru" sound rang out, the den den mushi was quickly connected, and a light, cheerful voice spoke:
"This is Lindbergh."
"This is Mr. Dragon."
"Ah! Mr. Dragon, is there something you need, contacting me so suddenly?"
"Yes, I need a material that can reflect sound. Do you have any ideas?"
The den den mushi was silent for a moment, then a rummaging sound could be heard. After a while, Lindbergh's voice spoke again:
"I have materials that reflect sound here, but Mr. Dragon, what do you intend to use it for? The material I have is a gel-like substance that can be applied to walls. I wonder if it meets your needs?"
Mr. Dragon didn't answer immediately, but instead turned to look at Luo Yan. Luo Yan nodded, indicating it was acceptable. Only then did Mr. Dragon reply.
"No problem."
"Alright, I'll send someone to deliver it to you right away. Are you still in the East Blue?"
"Yes, send someone to the East Blue outpost. I'll pick it up later."
"Alright!"
Gaga!
After Lindbergh responded, the den den mushi seemed to lose all its strength, its antennae drooping.
Mr. Dragon placed the receiver back on the den den mushi's back. Without needing any specific instructions, the Revolutionary Army member holding the den den mushi had already returned to the cabin with it.
"It will take about half a month for the material to be delivered. If you have something to do, you can go take care of it first. If you return here in a week, we can leave together and arrive just in time."
"No, I don't have anything to do. It sounds like you don't have much to do either?"
Luo Yan asked tentatively. Mr. Dragon nodded, not hiding anything.
"I came to the East Blue primarily to rescue some people. The people have been rescued, and currently, there's nothing urgent for me to do."
A glint flashed in Luo Yan's eyes. He nodded and glanced at his ship not far away.
"When do you want the ten bottles of potion we agreed upon? As I mentioned before, if the potions aren't consumed in time after being prepared, they will be eaten by the bottles they're in. So, I will prepare them when you want them."
Mr. Dragon scanned his surroundings, then nodded and said, "I want them today. You can go to your ship to prepare the potions."
"Heh! I think it's better if I first see the ten people you've chosen and ask them some questions. That way, I can give them the most suitable potion pathway."
"Alright, then please wait a moment. I'll be right back."
Mr. Dragon turned and quickly walked into the cabin, then came out just as fast. This time, he was followed by ten people. There were seven men and three women among them, including a Fish-Man. They were all dressed differently, clearly not like the uniformed grunts, but Luo Yan didn't recognize any of them.
"These are them. You can ask them any questions directly."
Luo Yan scanned the ten people standing neatly before him, not rushing to question them, but instead asking Mr. Dragon first.
"How many resources are you prepared to invest in them? Do you plan for them to become high-Sequence powerhouses, meaning Sequence 4 or above? Oh, right, I forgot to mention, Sequence 4 is a qualitative change, a very significant increase in power. Just by relying on their Beyonder abilities, they can rival a Vice Admiral."
"Is this question directly related to the present situation?"
"Of course it is! It's crucial!"
Luo Yan gave an affirmative answer, and Mr. Dragon immediately gave an affirmative reply as well.
"They are all exceptionally outstanding members of the Revolutionary Army and were already priority candidates for training. Even without potions, they would be extensively cultivated."
"I understand. Then I'll start asking questions. First question, those who sing very well and those who sing very badly, please take a step forward."
The ten people, who had just been very serious and standing ramrod straight, froze on the spot, looking at each other with astonished expressions, completely confused. Mr. Dragon beside them also looked utterly bewildered.
"What kind of question is this?"
"Oh, well, just listen to me, that's all. Don't worry about what the question is. Are there any such people or not?"
Luo Yan pressed again. At this, four people, three men and one woman, took a step forward.
"I sing..."
The girl was about to speak when Luo Yan interrupted her: "You don't need to say whether you sing well or badly, that's not important. The four of you, please stand to the side."
Luo Yan gestured to his left. The four looked at each other, not relieved but even more puzzled. Luo Yan himself had asked about singing, but now he was saying whether it was good or bad wasn't crucial. However, they didn't raise any objections and all moved to the left. The remaining six moved closer together, rearranging themselves neatly.
Luo Yan nodded and began to ask the second question: "Second question, are there any Ivankovs among you, or anyone who wishes to become an Ivankov? Please take a step forward."
Everyone was astonished again. This time, even Mr. Dragon's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
"Is this question also crucial?"
Mr. Dragon asked again, and Luo Yan nodded again, giving an affirmative answer.
Among the six, a burly man with abundant body hair took a small step forward and slightly raised his hand.
"I, I... I greatly admire Ivankov, and I hope to one day go to Ivankov Land and become an Ivankov!"
"Damn it! There really is one!"
Luo Yan blurted out an expletive on the spot. He had actually just asked casually, mainly because Ivankov was a Revolutionary Army cadre, thinking there should be many Ivankovs in the Revolutionary Army. He hadn't expected one to actually appear.
"You, you stand to the right."
Luo Yan pointed to his right. The burly man nodded and moved with small, quick steps to the right.
"Third question, those among you with special fetishes, please take a step forward. Any fetish is fine, as long as it's special enough."
The remaining five looked at each other, and none of them stepped forward. They all considered themselves normal and had no special fetishes.
As for whether this question was reasonable, with the groundwork laid by the first two questions, they actually found this third question quite normal.
Luo Yan waited for a while and, seeing no one step forward, nodded.