When Colonel Nezumi saw this scene, his face instantly turned pale, and his body seemed to lose all its strength, causing him to collapse onto the ground. If the image from the crystal ball was sent to the Marine branch, he would not only lose his rank but also be thrown into prison, or even executed on the spot.
"You, you, you, you, you…"
Colonel Nezumi was so agitated he couldn't speak. Luo Yan put away the crystal ball, his smile growing wider.
"Don't be nervous, I don't have any ill intentions towards you. You can see that I haven't harmed any of you since I arrived. So rest assured, I won't hand over that footage to the Marines for now, and I'll even help you cover it up, for example, by helping you dispose of the evidence."
Saying this, he pointed at the three slaves.
Colonel Nezumi's mouth twitched twice, but he nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Then, then I'll trouble you."
"Heh heh, don't be polite. Oh, by the way, you said your next stop is Cocoyasi Island, right? I heard that island is famous for its tangerines, and I'm planning to buy some. I'll bring my ship over in a bit, and you'll be responsible for leading the way."
"Ah? Ah! Good, good!"
Colonel Nezumi nodded repeatedly. At this moment, his mood had improved significantly.
Luo Yan stood up and waved his hand at the three slaves from a distance.
"Wait here, I'll bring the ship to pick you up."
After speaking, he spread his wings and shot into the sky, his figure quickly disappearing into the night. Just then, a Marine cautiously approached Colonel Nezumi, lowering his voice:
"Colonel, he's also going to Cocoyasi Island. When we get there, we can team up with Arlong to… him."
The Marine didn't finish his sentence but made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand. Colonel Nezumi's face, which had just regained a little color, immediately twisted in anger, and he kicked the Marine down.
"Are you an idiot? Didn't you see he can fly? No matter how strong Arlong is, can he fly? If we turn against him, he just has to give that crystal ball to the branch, and we'll all be finished!"
Not long after, a small boat sailed from a distance; it was Luo Yan's ship. Colonel Nezumi and his group, without any hesitation or struggle, very diligently personally escorted the three slaves onto Luo Yan's ship.
"Hmm! Very good. Then lead the way to Cocoyasi Island."
Luo Yan simply gave the order, and Colonel Nezumi nodded and bowed in agreement before returning to the Warship and heading towards Cocoyasi Island.
Luo Yan controlled the current, allowing the small boat to trail behind the Warship, following it to Cocoyasi Island. After adjusting the boat, he finally turned his gaze to the three individuals.
The three didn't recognize Luo Yan. Although he had rescued them from the Marines, they remained relatively fearful before understanding his intentions.
Luo Yan tried to appear kind, personally untying the three, then dispelling the illusion on himself to reveal his original appearance. Immediately after, he opened a palm-sized box, and a pale yellow light instantly spread out.
Inside the box was an egg-sized eyeball with vertical pupils. The moment the light enveloped them, the three's uneasy feelings were soothed, and they inexplicably calmed down.
This was also a magical item, corresponding to a hypnotist, but its main function was not to hypnotize others. Besides having a certain calming effect on others' emotions, its primary function was to allow all intelligent beings covered by its light to communicate telepathically, enabling them to intuitively sense whether each other had ill intentions and whether their words were sincere.
"Ahem! First, let me introduce myself. My name is Luo Yan, and I am an Adventurer. I am currently gathering companions. If you are willing to follow me, then we will be companions from now on. If you are not willing to follow me, then once we reach Cocoyasi Island, you can leave on your own. I can give you some money for travel expenses home or for future living costs. Of course, it won't be too much, as I'm not wealthy either."
The three had already despaired. In their eyes, their best fate would be to meet a kind owner, so they wouldn't be abused to death.
Now, they seemed to have been saved, saved by this person who looked younger than all of them, and this young man's words were so sincere, without the slightest impurity.
The three looked at each other in unison, and for a moment, no one spoke. Luo Yan didn't rush them, just waited quietly.
After a long while, the burly Da Kuai Tou (Big Guy) was the first to speak: "You, will you really treat us as companions?"
"Of course, didn't I just say so?"
Luo Yan's smile grew wider. He was really eager for crew members now. If all three chose to leave because of his pretty words, it would be ruined. Now at least one person seemed willing to follow him. Putting aside everything else, just his physique alone looked reassuring.
The other two, after hearing this, exchanged glances. The White-haired girl also seemed tempted, but she only opened her mouth without speaking, as if she still had some reservations.
While answering Da Kuai Tou (Big Guy), Luo Yan's attention was also on the other two. Although the White-haired girl's movement was very small, it was still caught. Seeing this, he immediately turned his gaze to the White-haired girl.
"Little sister, do you have something to say?"
The White-haired girl's body trembled suddenly, seemingly startled by Luo Yan's address. Immediately after, she became a little shy.
"You, you must have requirements for recruiting crew members, right? I… I've never been very healthy since I was little, and I'm not particularly good at anything…"
"Of course, I also have certain standards for recruiting crew members, but since my divination results tell me that you are suitable to be my crew members, then I believe you all have your own strengths. Since you brought up this topic, why don't you tell me what you can do? Or what did you used to do?"
Seeing that Luo Yan had not changed his mind because of her words, the White-haired girl's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed again.
"I, I used to work as a nursing assistant in a hospital. My usual work was to help people bandage wounds, change IV drips, and so on. These are all very basic things that anyone can do."
The White-haired girl's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and her head unconsciously lowered. In her opinion, her previous job was something anyone on the street could do, with no special features or skills to speak of.
However, Luo Yan's eyes grew brighter as he listened. This was simply the best candidate for a ship's doctor in his mind.
Others would definitely choose a proper doctor for a ship's doctor, but he had too many choices. After all, he had potions. No matter who drank the Apothecary Potion, they could become a top doctor, so that person's former profession would have a say.