Luo Lan glanced at the system.
There were still 18 days left before the Super Cloning Factory would be completed.
It was painfully slow.
But there was no helping it—this was an S-Class building, after all.
On Seras' side, dozens of people had already been arranged to conduct "clinical trials" in rotation.
In 18 days, they should be able to complete at least several hundred experiments.
By then, any ability user under Luo Lan's command who wanted to switch abilities would be able to do so freely.
They could even have Ace extract the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit) and test it in the Super Factory.
Maybe he could even form a Rumble-Rumble Squad?
Just the thought of it was a little exciting...
---
Two days later.
The coating on the first battleship was finally complete.
Luo Lan made a point to visit the port to see it.
How should he put it?
When not in use, the coating looked like a thick layer of bronze-colored slime covering the ship.
And in essence, that's exactly what the coating process was.
A special sap was extracted from certain trees on the Sabaody Archipelago, then applied to the surface of the ship.
Whether the coating was applied evenly and thoroughly was the most direct way to judge a coating craftsman's skill.
After inspecting the ship thoroughly, Luo Lan found that every part of the hull had been coated with uniform thickness.
As expected, the person Crane had sent was highly skilled.
"Master Samir, your work is excellent. I'd guess you're among the best in the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Samir laughed. "Not quite. There's actually someone better than me over there."
"There's someone even more skilled?"
"Yep. But Old Ray is a lazy bastard. As long as he has wine to drink, he refuses to work. That's why most people don't know about him."
Uh...
Luo Lan twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Old Ray?
"You're not talking about Dark King Rayleigh, are you?"
Samir froze.
He stared at Luo Lan in disbelief.
The reason Samir had stayed undercover in Sabaody for over 20 years was partly to gather intel on various pirate crews through his coating work.
But more importantly, he was tasked with keeping an eye on one particular individual.
That person was Rayleigh.
To fulfill that mission, Samir had even spent over a decade drinking with Rayleigh as his close companion.
Yet this was top-secret information, classified within the Navy.
How on earth did Luo Lan know?
Seeing Samir's stunned expression, Luo Lan merely smiled and didn't bother to explain.
"By the way, Master Samir—how many uses does this coating have?"
"Just one."
"What? Then how do we get back?"
"Relax. I applied a double-layer coating on the battleship."
Double-layer?
That was a new term.
Luo Lan grew curious. What exactly was a double-layer coating?
"A double-layer coating means applying one layer, and then another on top of it," Samir explained.
"That way, you can use the outer layer for the trip to the New World, and the inner layer for the return trip."
"But keep in mind—during the mission, the ship must not be attacked. Even cannon fire can damage the coating. And once the coating is compromised, it's useless."
Luo Lan understood. That made sense.
Wait a minute…
Of the five ships being prepared, four weren't meant to return.
Wouldn't a double coating on them be a waste?
"Master Samir, forget about the double-layer on this one. Just do single-layer coating for the next three ships."
"But that black one over there still needs the double-layer, just in case."
Wastefulness wasn't a good habit.
Especially since this tree sap could only be sourced from the Sabaody Archipelago.
It would be wise to conserve what they could for future use.
"But without a second layer, how will they return...?"
"No need. Those four surface battleships will be handed over to the G1 Branch after their missions in the New World. No return trip necessary."
"Oh, I see. Got it!"
Samir nodded thoughtfully.
At the same time, a question stirred in his mind: What exactly is the relationship between Luo Lan's group and Navy Headquarters now?
Four powerful battleships, just handed over like that?
Even stranger—he'd been ordered to come here solely to work as a coating craftsman. No orders to spy, gather intel, or anything else.
That was highly unusual.
"By the way, may I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
Luo Lan nodded.
"Once I finish the coating work here, do I return to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Hmm?
That matter, huh...
"Did your official orders from HQ tell you to return after the job?"
"Not exactly. The order just said to bring enough materials, wait at a designated location for Luo Lan's ships to arrive, and assist with the coating process. Nothing was mentioned after that."
"Exactly. If HQ didn't tell you to go back, then you can't disobey orders now, can you?"
Luo Lan patted Samir's shoulder and said with a smile, then walked away.
Leaving Samir alone, staring blankly at Luo Lan's back as it disappeared into the wind.
Wait a minute...
What the hell does that mean...?
---
With only single-layer coating to apply, Samir's work went much faster.
What originally took two people to coat one battleship now only took a day per ship.
Only the massive Danaan needed more time due to its size and double-layer coating.
Six days.
Yes—just six days later, the remaining three battleships and the Danaan were all fully coated.
Ready to depart at any moment.
And on that very day...
The Ark Maxim returned from Sky Island, having delivered 300 Jun Lin soldiers and brought back a shipment of gold to Rhodes Island.
As soon as it docked...
A large group from the Science Division rushed aboard, immediately inspecting everything.
Even Ian and Baby 5 had been called back by Luo Lan.
With 350 Jun Lin soldiers already stationed in Upper Yard, the two could leave for a while without any problems.
Especially considering the combat capabilities of Angel Island...
Forget 350—just a handful of Jun Lin soldiers could wipe the place clean.
Everyone had a base power level of over 500, after all—that wasn't something to laugh at.
Just as Ian and Baby 5 disembarked, a messenger ran over.
He informed them that a high-level Jun Lin meeting was about to begin and that they were to proceed immediately to Conference Room 1 at HQ.
Ian didn't dare waste time and quickly dragged Baby 5 along.
Ten minutes later...
Every single Jun Lin officer was seated in the room—no one absent.
Even newly recruited Vice Admiral Gion (Momousagi) was present.
"Since everyone's here, let's begin," Luo Lan said.
"There are three main items on the agenda today."
"First—our organization has grown significantly. If we continue using the 157th Branch name and maintain the Navy's rank structure, then…"
"…it will severely limit Jun Lin's future."
"Let me be direct: right now I'm a captain. That means no one else can ever outrank me, right?"
"After all, it wouldn't make sense for me to remain a captain while others get promoted to generals."
Luo Lan's tone was serious.
Jun Lin had grown to over 10,000 members, but in terms of military ranks…
No one had ever been promoted.
Officers stayed officers. Soldiers stayed soldiers.
The main reason was exactly what Luo Lan just said.
If they continued as a Navy branch, no one could advance in rank.
So he'd decided it was time for a change.
But just then, someone interrupted.
"Who says no one can outrank you because you're a captain?"
"I'm a vice admiral!"
Uh...
How could I forget about this woman...?
Luo Lan was speechless.
"Don't worry. By the time this meeting's over, you'll be officially beneath me."
"Starting today, the 157th Branch is no more. From now on—we are Jun Lin."
"And I, Luo Lan, will serve as Jun Lin's first Grand Marshal (Fleet Admiral)."
"Who approves? Who opposes?"
---
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27