"Guess?"
"Oh my! It's Commander Onii-chan!"
"As expected of Lexington's... little sister, Saratoga, very perceptive."
"Hehe! Commander Onii-chan, Saratoga misses you so much, but it's strange, why is Commander Onii-chan calling from Sakura Empire Port? Should I ask Enterprise Onee-chan what's going on?"
On the other end, at Azure Lane Port, Saratoga showed a joyful smile, her words hinting at something.
"Because I descended from another world and happened to land in Sakura Empire Port."
However, Jack was already familiar with her mischievous personality and did not fall into her trap of tattling.
"Wow! Then Commander Onii-chan isn't hurt anywhere, right? If you really got hurt, Saratoga would be so heartbroken~"
"Don't worry, not only is Commander fine, but he's become stronger than before. After integrating the Shipgirl companions here in Sakura Empire Port, I will lead everyone back. Then I'll be able to meet Saratoga."
"Eh? Doesn't that mean it will still be a long time? Hmm, but it's okay, if Commander Onii-chan is willing to give Saratoga a gift, then this matter can be overlooked~"
"Of course. What gift do you want, Saratoga?"
"Let me think... Hehe, Saratoga wants a kiss from Commander Onii-chan, can I have one?"
"That's already your right; you don't need to treat it as a gift. Choose something else."
"Then... Saratoga wants to meet Commander right now~"
"Exploiting glitches is naughty behavior."
"Hehe, I was just kidding. Saratoga is so cute, Commander Onii-chan will forgive me, right?"
"Of course... I forgive you!"
...
Jack and Saratoga chatted on the phone for half an hour.
It was unclear who spread the news, but within a short time, a crowd of Shipgirls from the Eagle Union, Royal, Eastern Radiance, and other factions had gathered at Azure Lane Port.
They spoke in hushed tones.
"The Commander is back, is he in Sakura Empire Port?"
This was Enterprise, who had just returned from her regular patrol to deal with Sirens in the surrounding sea.
"Yes, Saratoga is talking to the Commander."
Illustrious answered Enterprise on behalf of the busy Saratoga.
Through everyone's conversation, Enterprise learned what had happened.
Enterprise frowned: "Is the combat strength of our Sakura Empire companions sufficient when they return to port? If they are to escort the Commander, do we need to add more security measures, such as sending an advance team to greet and protect them?"
"Enterprise, are you afraid that a third-party force might learn of the Commander's return through some means and ambush them mid-route?"
"Exactly! Sirens and Ashes... apologies, I wasn't referring to you all, I mean the other Helena META Shipgirls. Their methods remain unknown to us. Although the probability is small, the Sakura Empire returning fleet still has the possibility of encountering battle. We cannot let the Commander fall into danger!"
Helena META, also in the room, nodded, in response to Enterprise's apology.
She didn't dislike Enterprise's cautious and vigilant attitude towards META Shipgirls.
Rather, it was best to be that way, because even among META Shipgirls, they didn't all know each other's full backgrounds; unless they came from the same destroyed world, everyone had an unknown past.
Such individuals could not be guarded against too much.
"Wouldn't that be making a mountain out of a molehill? Sakura Empire also has several naval legends. Protecting Honey should be more than enough, and wouldn't sending our fleet expose us faster? The reason Honey called us first via satellite phone must also be due to considerations of covert action."
Unicorn chose to trust the strength of Musashi, Shinano, and others.
As products of the later era of the Azure Lane game, which frequently produced rainbow-rarity ships, Unicorn had witnessed the power of her comrades and naturally held different views from Enterprise, who was a relic of an earlier era (referring to her ability to single-handedly take on an entire fleet).
Subsequently, the matter of whether to send a small team to greet the Commander directly split the people present into two factions, who began to debate.
No one even noticed when Saratoga ended her call.
"Wow! The big sisters' war, how scary!"
Saratoga beamed, looking like a spectator enjoying the show.
...
Sakura Empire Port.
Jack silently hung up the phone.
Although the people on the Azure Lane side were very restrained, he could still hear faint, noisy discussions through the satellite phone.
"These adorable idiots, don't they even consider their own safety for a moment?"
Though he said that, his heart was filled with endless warmth.
These were the Shipgirls he cherished, and who cherished him just as much.
"It's truly wonderful to have come to this world."
Jack rubbed Akashi's head.
The shop owner, Akashi-meow, tilted her head to look at him.
Commander... was saying strange things again.
...
Whoosh! Whoosh!
On the port building's rooftop, two black figures swiftly flew by.
Countless tiles were crushed beneath their feet, and the fragments fell down the slanted roof, making a mess of the Sakura Empire Port streets.
"Stop right there! No jumping around on the port rooftops!"
Takao, seeing more Shipgirls causing trouble in the port, and fearing that it would leave a reckless impression of Sakura Empire Shipgirls on Jack, her god's eye of Electro at her waist flashed, and her figure instantly soared into the sky, intercepting the two black figures.
"This path is blocked!"
Takao held her katana horizontally, purple lightning circling her, forming a wall of thunder.
"You are... Takao?"
The second black figure stopped, curiously looking at Takao, who was manipulating lightning, feeling that something was a bit strange.
"Noshiro... and Ayanami, why are you running on the roof? And even summoning your rigging? Are you trying to collapse the building?"
"Ah! That... we didn't mean to intentionally damage public property, it's just... it's just..."
"We are rushing to the Broadcast Room, desu."
Noshiro and Ayanami explained one after another, and Takao finally understood the reason.
"How many waves has it been now? You want to see the Commander, right? You can! But you must follow the proper procedures!"
Takao pointed in a certain direction, feeling quite exhausted.
Ayanami and Noshiro looked over and saw no less than ten Sakura Empire Shipgirls walking together on the road, chatting and laughing as they went.
"Are they also going to the Broadcast Room?"
"Yes."
"Were they also caught red-handed walking on the roof like us?"
"What do you think?"
Noshiro's face flushed, like a good student occasionally caught doing something mischievous.
Ayanami said nothing, put away her Shipgirl equipment and katana, and then obediently jumped off the roof.
As soon as she landed, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Ayanami~"
"That voice is… Laffey."
Ayanami turned around, and Laffey, eating a parfait, came into view.
The white-haired, rabbit-eared (hair accessory) girl scooped a spoonful of parfait and offered it to Ayanami.
"This… sweet treat given by the Commander, do you want some?"
Ayanami swallowed the spoon Laffey had used in one gulp.
"Mmm, it's sweet and delicious."
"Laffey… there's still a lot here."
After meeting her companion, Laffey's spirits were noticeably higher. She opened her special small pouch and shared the dessert with Ayanami.
It was only when she received the dessert that Ayanami belatedly realized a blind spot.
Laffey just said… this dessert was given by the Commander?
Suddenly, Ayanami felt that the dessert in her hand was no longer appealing.
She, Ayanami, was jealous!
-------------------------------
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