"Holy shit! That was like a wormhole or some shit!"

"I wonder if Aoste will cry if he knows what we went through."

The current situation is that Stella had regrouped with us and were as surprised as we are that we're now on the shore of the Sakura Empire. Stella had just contacted the higher ups earlier and they told us to standby near the Chiba prefecture or more specifically, the Chikura Town. I have no idea where that was at first but the sakuran girls help me navigate. Surprisingly, it's actually near Tokyo. Chiba prefecture is like Tokyo's natural seawall from the Pacific Ocean.

"…" Nagato's expression can't be described as happy as she looks inland. In front of us was a ruined memory of a town. The town in front of us isn't exactly in its peak state. If I have to guess, it must be from the first siren war. I could only imagine how lively this place was before it was attacked and consumed in the fire of war. "…uuuhh…" The other thing is that the tides in this place reach deep in town as if the land had sunk. I assume this also happens because of the war because it doesn't make sense to build a house where you'll get 100% chance of high tide flooding. "…mmmhhh…" Okay why are you making those cute noises, Nagato? Is she asking me for attention?

"What's wrong, Nagato?" I decide to bite the bait and approach the sad petite fox. "Are you worried about the Arsenal Bird? Didn't I tell you to let it all out with Stella?"

"I know… but we don't know where the Arsenal Bird is." Yeah… that's kinda concerning, huh… For all we know it might be going North and start attacking the northern Sakura Empire. "It might sound weird but I'm much more comfortable when we can see it." That's understandable.

"That doesn't sound weird at all, my cute little fox." I caress Nagato under her chin as if she was a cat. She was perplexed at first but decided to just roll with it. She even lifts her chin up voluntarily. "Knowing your enemy is the first step of a war and the most important thing to know is 'Where', no?"

"Mmmmmhhh~~ True~~" Her fox ears go horizontal and she looks like she is in cloud nine. She is enjoying this, isn't she? Fufufu~~ She is so cute!

"So let me help you relax, cutie~~" My other hand gently grabs her fox ear and rubs the inner ear. A soft and calm purr emits from Nagato's body. She really is a cat, isn't she? She said that she is a fox and yet she is acting more like a cat. "Ooohhh~~ You're so adorable!" I capture her face, smash my face on hers and then ferociously rub our face against each other. "Take my attack! You stupid cute fox!"

"MMMMMHHHHHH!~~ Commander!~~ Sssttwwwoooppp!~~" NEVER! NOT EVEN GOD CAN STOP ME NOW!

"Stop that." *BONK*

"ACK!" Once again, Jean Bart the party pooper poops on my party. She uses one of her main gun barrels as a metal bat and smacks me in the head. "Why… you… that hurt…" Is my head steaming? I can feel the heat as I rub the part where Jean's barrel meets my head and it's hot.

"Serve you right." I was just doing my job! I was trying to calm Nagato down! Why was that bad, Jean Bart?! You're angry when I'm not doing my job and now, you're angry when I'm doing my job! You're making it hard for me to understand you, Jean! "Everything is already confusing enough, don't make it worse."

"I'm helping!"

"How exactly? All I'm seeing is you forcing yourself on a little girl." That's true but you need to see the motivation behind it. On the outside, Robinhood is nothing more than a thief but when you look at why he steals stuff then you'll understand him better.

"Shut up! Do you have any idea how much pleasure I derive from rubbing my face against Nagato's?!" Unreasonably a lot actually. "Or are you jealous that I'm not doing it to you?!"

"No. Absolutely not." Cold. Fucking cold! Mam, you're from the Iris Orthodoxy not the Northern Parliament. "That sounds horrible."

"How about you give it a try first before giving your opinion? Come give me your face, Jean." I was expecting Jean's face but what I got was an attack from behind. "Ah…" An attack on the back of my knees which caused me to fall to the ground on all four.

"I always wonder what's the source of your confidence." Of course a coward like you, who attacks people from behind, wouldn't know, Monty!

"…My hypothesis is that his extreme pervertedness destroys his head so that he can't think logically at all." Said my cock slave.

"You! The three of you will regret this!" Looking down on your ADMIRAL is a sin! All of you sinners will pay with your body!

"Talk big for someone on the ground." It was a sneak attack! It doesn't count! "Hey you, Nagato of the Sakura Empire, do you want to get your revenge on him?" Huh? What does that supposed to mean? Take revenge? You're saying as if Nagato doesn't like it. Do you not see how happy she is?

"…" See! You're just wasting your time, Je— "…yes." Fucking God damn it… Is there a sign on my back that says 'stab here'? Seriously, I have been backstabbed by these girls very often these days.

"That's all I need to know." Monty grabs my legs and forcefully pulls them.

"WHA—!" I wasn't able to fight off Monty's strength and was dragged back by my legs. "What are you doing?!"

"Didn't you hear me earlier?" Now it's Jean's turn to grab both of my hands and hold them strongly. "We're assisting her in her revenge." Both Jean and Monty turn my body around in unison and then pin me on the ground. Oh fuck… "He is ready." Don't act like I'm some sort of food!

"…if you want to punish him, you can attack here, here, and here." The lewd instructor shows Nagato where my weak spots are. She is having fun, isn't she? That perverted maid has always been a piece of shit.

"STELLA! THE GIRLS ARE—MMMPPPHHHH!" SHEFFY! Out of nowhere, the perverted maid brings out a stocking and stuff my mouth with it. This is her used stocking by the way. I don't think I need to explain why I know. "MMMPPPPHHH!" Where is Stella!? Why can't she see that her boyfriend is in trouble!?

"I get it!" Nagato, you're an extremely cute girl. I can't be mad at you when you're showing me that adorable pump-up face of yours. "Excuse me." Nagato gently sits on me or more precisely, on my stomach. "I'm sorry, commander." Don't say it when you don't mean it, Nagato. It's nothing more than a simple lip service.

"Don't be. He deserved it." Jean, you bitch! I SWEAR! My revenge will be 10 times much lewder than this!

"Aaaaaaa~~ Hmph~~" A cute nibble on my neck.

"Mmmhhmmpphh!" Holy shit! The sensation is entirely different from when Eugen do it! When that bitch did it, she did it flawlessly but when this cute fox did it, she was trying her darn hardest. It was more ticklish than anything if I have to be honest but you have to give her points for trying. "Mmhmmpp! Mmhmmp! Hmmp! Mmhp! Mmmhhmmpp!" My entire body convulse from the tickle but since 2 shipgirls are holding my limbs tight, I couldn't do nothing but wriggle on the ground.

"Hahahaha! You have been acting all high and mighty since you're the commander but let's be honest with ourselves, this is your true position." Now she is going to get it. I have been holding myself on her slave training but not anymore. Monty deserves the harshest of training for her comment.

"Mmmppp~~ Aaahh~~ Did it hurt, commander?"

"…there's no need for mercy. He'll do this to you too if he has the chance." Aaaww Sheffy~~ You know me so well.

"What are you girls doing to my boyfriend?" YES! MY SAVIOR IS HERE!

"We're punishing the sinner." You are Richelieu's sister, huh…

"That sinner is my boyfriend, let him go!" AHAHAHAHAHA! Suck to be you girls! NEPOTISM BABY!

"Guh… you're the worst commander ever." HAHA! My value has risen in Monty's in exchange to Stella. I literally gain everything in this exchange. The girls grudgingly let go of me. I hope they also know that they're releasing a very dangerous beast that will take revenge on them because of this.

"You're the best girlfriend ever, Stella. Have I ever said that before?"

"It tickles me when you're being cute like that, Igo." Is that an insult or not? I can't tell.

"Can I hold Nagato in my arms as a punishment for her sin? It would deal a devastating blow to someone like her."

"Sure."

"What?! Why?!" You have no right to reject my order, Nagato. I'm your commander and it's your job to follow my every order. Nagato looks at me, who is approaching her with my grabby hands, with fear in her eyes. "Please! The sakuran officials will be coming soon!" Then you shouldn't have teased me earlier, Nagato. Now it's time for you to pay!

"Nope! Not hearing it! Come here you little troublemaker!" Like a wolf pouncing on a fox child, my hands grab Nagato's body and lift her up. I then bring her closer to my body and hold her in my arms as if I was holding a baby. "You smell nice, Nagato. Have I ever said that before?"

"Yes! Please let me down! I learned my lesson!"

"No, I don't think I will. Take this~ *Smooch*" I give the blushing fox a kiss on her cheek which makes the red even redder. "Your cheeks are the greatest in the world! *Smooch* You're so cute! *Smooch* Take this! *Smooch* My revenge! *Smooch*" What's the reddest thing in the world? Because I think Nagato's face had just broken that record.

"I'm sorry… please forgive me… I'm sorry… no more… please…"

"No~ *Smooch* *Smooch* *Smooch* *Smooch* *Smooch*"

"Commander Stella… please help…"

"Hmm? Ah… sorry Nagato but I'm on a call right now." Just as she said, my girlfriend is busy talking to her phone. "Yeah, just go around that rock and you should see our fleet." It's probably the sakuran officials.

"Wow, what an ass." Monty, mouth. I don't want you to stain my Nagato's brain. The only person who can do that is me. "They are a match made in hell." You're going to regret that, dumbass.

"Oh! I see you!" Stella screams to the phone. "Girls! Shine your lights so they can see us!"

"Wait! Do—" I was about to stop them from focusing all of the mass-produced ships' light onto the oncoming ship but I was too late. The beam of lights produced by all the mass-produced ships must have roasted the eyes of whoever on that approaching ship because my eyes are burning just by the reflection. "STOP! STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM BLIND!"

"Ah… oh yeah… girls, stop!" This woman! You had just blinded a group of people and that's your reaction?! The fuck?!

"Why are we still following her command?" Jean, you're the one who's supposed to answer that question. I can't help you with that.

The ship that the girls blasted their light on kept on approaching us. Is it on autosailor mode or something? How can they look after that intense light? And that ship… If I have to guess, it is a mass-produced Takao-class heavy cruiser. A single mass-produced ship, huh… Is it rude to say that I was expecting more. Well, beggars can't be chooser I guess. We did kinda come unexpectedly though so it's understandable if they weren't ready.

As the cruiser comes closer and closer to the command ship, I can clearly see a silhouette standing on the deck of that ship. A woman with short hair and shorter than me in terms of height. Those are the only characteristics that I can tell from her silhouette.

"Aaaaaahhhhh~~ It's too late!" Nagato cries in embarrassment and buries her face on my shoulder. Huh… Nagato doesn't want to be looked at by that person in this state… I wonder who that person is.

As the ship comes closer, I finally get to see the actual characteristics of the person. Black short hair, sharp bright purple eyes, serious expression on her face and wearing sunglasses at night for some reason. If I have to assume, this is not her first time getting blinded by Stella. This woman is wearing the usual white navy uniform. I can't see the rank on her shoulders very clearly but I'm pretty sure she is a high-ranking officer.

"Can you even see through that?"

"With your help earlier, I can." Yeah, that's a tone which indicates that she has gotten used to this. "You have to stop shining on people with your lights, Stella."

"No promise." Please promise her. I'm now afraid to pick you up just in case that you'll burn my retinas and turn me blind.

"Seriously…" Our ships are now so close that I'm confident that I can jump onto the other ship. "Extend the bridge!" The woman said to the people behind her and just like her command, a bridge was extended from her ship onto ours. The woman walks onto our ship and eyes me. "I assume you're Admiral Igo, correct?"

"Mhm! My pride and joy!" Stella… those words are used to describe your children, not your boyfriend. "Look at how he caringly carries a scared Nagato!" Don't! She is trembling! She is actually trembling like a muted phone getting called by an angry mother!

"Talking about that, are you enjoying yourself, Nagato?"

"Hiiii!" The little fox's body reached its limit as the owner of the body shrieked. In the next moment, fox tails emerge from her back and it covers her entire body and because she was in my arms, they also cover my upper body. Huh… This is not as bad as it looks, honestly. Yes, I can't see jack shit but Nagato's tails are so fluffy, warm, and extremely huggable that I'll trade my vision just to be in the middle of this.

"Look at what you did, Tsuyo!" At the very least I can still hear what's happening outside of the furball. "Now how am I going to get Igo out of there?" I don't wanna! Do you know how comfortable I am right now?! Of course you don't! Because you never were kind enough to the girls to experience this heaven! "Nagato, let go of Igo. This is an order!"

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" The fox's engine roared in refusal. Suck to be you, Stella! Nagato loves me more! In response to Stella's order, Nagato tightens her hug around my neck which only makes it harder for me to take her off me, not that I want to.

"Oh great job, I had just escaped death and now you're already making me do work." I'm the one who is working here! I'm the one who is comforting the child! "You're just the best, Tsuyo!"

"Me? You were the one who spent more time with her. If anything, I assume you scared her and your colleague here steps in to be a responsible adult." Most of the time, yes. "Whatever, let's go. We're wasting too much time. I'll guide you to your temporary base." The next moment, I feel that the command ship is moving again.

"Hey Nagato, are you okay?" I whisper gently to the trembling child fox.

"I'm ashamed!" I know but for how long? I can't exactly get anything done if you keep hugging me like this, Nagato. I know that I'm the one who started it but I didn't know that this would happen. "I can't show my face anymore! How can a leader be in such a state like me!?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, you know?"

"Hii!" Hearing Tsuyo's words makes Nagato's body tense up. Did Nagato forget that Tsuyo is near us?

"What is so shameful about resting your head on your superior's shoulder, Nagato?" I hear a ruffling noise coming closer and closer toward me and the next moment, a hand comes in from between the tail and strokes Nagato's head. "That mean Admiral Igo is a valuable person to you and you trust him."

"I—I—I do…" Nagato slowly lowered her tails which finally let my skin see the moonlight again. "Mmmm… But still… This is embarrassing."

"I suppose so. I would also feel like that if someone sees me flirting with my husband." Oh, so she is married.

"Husband?! That's too soon!"

"That's my boyfriend!"

Everyone has their own priority, huh… "Fufufu~~ Don't worry. I would gladly take Nagato's hand in marriage. She has always been a good girl in my eyes."

"Is that so? It would be unthinkable for anyone to think like that about Nagato in the past." In the past? Why? Is there something scary about Nagato in the past? Maybe it's because she always equips her rigging everywhere so people think that she is scary. At least that was my experience. "Perhaps Nagato's maiden heart has—"

"AAAAAA!" Nagato's scream in embarrassment and headbutt Tsuyo right in her stomach. Why is Nagato embarrassed? She has confessed her feelings for me before. Is it much more embarrassing when it comes out from someone else's mouth? "Please be more tactful with your mouth!"

"GUH!" Tsuyo was immediately brought to her knees in one attack. Weak. The shipgirls need to attack me 3 times before I can fall down on my knees. "Al—alright…"

"Take that, Tsuyo! That's what you get." I don't think you can be smug about this, Stella. I have a feeling that my stay in the Sakura Empire would be pretty eventful and that hasn't even put the Arsenal Bird into the equation.

XxX-XxX

"I know that it doesn't look much but this is the only thing that we can give you girls in such a short time." We're not that far away from where we first touched the Sakura Empire. In fact, we're on the other side of the prefecture. The sight in front of us is similar to the other side but the tides don't go in as deep. The tides only encroach for about 200 meters in. "This is Tateyama. You can use it as a base of operation while you are in the Sakura Empire." Tateyama is a small town and by the look of it, completely abandoned. I don't need a history lesson as to why because I can clearly see the scar of war on its land. The first siren war must have devastated this place. "There's a refurbished abandoned junior high school right over there. Use it as Azur Lane temporary HQ."

"Thanks, Tsuyo. Can we use these houses as the girls' place to stay? Don't worry about the electricity, we can hook up some of the mass-produced ships and treat them as a power plant."

"Wait a moment Stella, turning these mass-produced ships into a power plant might be plausible in theory but in reality, we would need some supporting infrastructures to make that happen." These ships' electrical systems are specifically tuned and engineered to fit their respective equipment. A command ship's antenna electrical consumption would be on an entirely different level than a battleship's antenna electrical consumption. One has to power an antenna to detect an enemy in the range of hundreds of kilometers while the other has to power an antenna that is required to have a good connection to a satellite that could be in the thousands of kilometers. "Hell, some ships may have different electrical systems even when they're in the same class."

"Well shit… I guess that means the girls have to stay in the mass-produced ships for some time."

"Sorry but this is the best we could offer in such a short amount of time."

"It's okay. We'll manage." At the very least, there are some places where we can comfortably work and don't have to take shifts. "Where are you positioned anyway?"

"Still in the current capital, Nagoya." Current capital, huh… I heard that the capital city of the Sakura Empire used to be Tokyo, a city that's not too far from here, but during the first siren war, it was moved to Nagoya. It was mainly because of the siren attack where they managed to penetrate deep into the Tokyo bay and attack the city directly. I've seen several pictures that show the devastated landscape of today's Tokyo but I wonder if I can visit the ruins myself. "Sorry but being in the first fleet means that I have to always be near the emperor and his family."

"Don't worry, sooner or later we'll visit you." Yeah, me too. I want to visit the capital of the Sakura Empire while I'm here. "Alright girls, line the ships up properly and then drop anchor."

"""Yyyeeessss…""" Is it just me or did they sound lazy? As if they're a bunch of teenagers and their mom told them to clean up their rooms. The mass-produce ships start lining up carefully and slowly. Looking at the large amounts of ships moving at the same time is… surreal. I know that our fleet is massive but I never seen them from 3rd POV. It's either they surround the ship that I was on or they're behind me but now I'm looking at them from the perspective of a bystander.

"Wouldn't this cause people to be suspicious and investigate?"

"There's no need to be worried. Chiba prefecture has been The Sakura Empire's wisdom cube testing area for quite some years now." Ah… I see… we have a convenient scapegoat if something weird happens. "People are afraid to settle here since it's so close to the Pacific Ocean where the siren resides so the government decided that this prefecture is the best place to test wisdom cube."

"Since there's a lab in this prefecture, I would expect that it would be better maintained than this." I sarcastically look at the ruin of a town. Vines and wild plants have gone unattended and sprawl all across the town. The roads are broken to pieces from both erosion and the plants' roots. What I'm trying to say is that this place doesn't fit to hold a laboratory. "Wouldn't it make it hard for you to transfer materials to the lab in this state?"

"True but this is just one of many in the Sakura Empire and just like I said before, no one wants to settle here even the one who works in the lab." There's no reason to rebuild a town that no one wants to live in, huh… "Most people come to the lab using trains. They live in a residential area away from here." The ease of having good public transport, huh… "We'll inform the people who work on the lab but please don't use that as an excuse to visit that lab. I don't want to hear that Akashi has blown something up again." Again, huh… That green cat should be put on an international criminal list or something.

"But can we visit the other cities?"

"As long as you don't show your rigging in the city then sure." Pretty loose rule you got there. I heard that Sakuran are a strict bunch but she doesn't exactly give me that image. "We have warned the populace about an incoming enemy but we didn't specify to them that it is the Arsenal Bird." That's a bad idea. Hiding something important.

Wanna buy a mirror, buddy? I'll pay for it.

FUCK OFF! SHUT UP!

"Azur Lane might be a secret on paper but like any government secret, everyone will eventually know about it." Yeah… Granny Elizabeth is my gateway for that. I had a feeling that Azur Lane's existence is a public secret that someone would know after they pass a certain age. It's like puberty for a government secret. "The Sakuran Government doesn't acknowledge the existence of Azur Lane so it would cause quite the mess if you suddenly show up in the middle of the Sakura Empire." Yeah… People would ask about the truth and it could either end with the Sakura Empire acknowledging the existence of Azur Lane or the Sakura Empire pulling their KANSEN from the organization. Doesn't matter the path, both are bad in my perspective.

"Alright, I'll tell everyone." Make sure you tell them sternly, Stella. It would end badly for both of us if they got found out. "On the other hand, Igo, go search for a good dating spot in Sakura Empire."

"God damn it, Stella…" At least wait until Tsuyo isn't here, will ya?

"I'll tell the higher up to switch Igo and Stella's rank." Please do. That'll cross something off of my bucket list. "From everything I have seen so far, he's a much more dependable and reasonable person than you."

"WAIT! WHAT?! He's the most perverted being on this entire planet!" HEY! That's our secret! Don't spread it so nonchalantly!

"Is that so? Well, Nagato seems to enjoy his presence so that tells me that he knows how to please a woman." The fox child face turns beet red from Tsuyo's words. If Nagato is embarrassed then that means Tsuyo is right, I can please a woman. "And he's not doing that twenty-four-seven which means that he knows when to be serious and when to play around. Sounds like a good leader if you ask me."

"WHY ARE YOU BEING SO MEAN TO ME!? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS!?"

"I want to punch you in the face." Tsuyo, calm down.

"…I believe master Igo is too inexperienced in KANSEN battle tactics to be appointed as an Admiral of The Navy." Yeah… not going to deny Sheffy's claim over there. The last mirror sea is purely beginner's luck for it to go so smoothly like that.

"I guess so. It's sad that you girls have to be led by such a weird woman." Stella's getting absolutely annihilated right now. "Here, for both Stella and Igo." Tsuyo thrust her hand forward toward both of us and in her palm are two earpieces. "Use this to help yourself communicate with the locals."

"Huh?" I grab one of the earpieces and wear it on my ear. "What does this do?" I ask as I turn it on. There's a light clicking noise coming from it before it speaks up in a lady's voice.

"Earpiece On."

Tsuyo waits for Stella to put on her earpiece before she speaks up again but this time, in the Sakuran language. I have no idea what she is talking about. She is definitely speaking about the earpiece because she sometimes points at it but I don't understand a single fucking word.

As I was about to say that I don't understand what she is talking about, the earpiece on my ear speaks up. "Those earpieces work as a translator. It's a two-way translation device. If you talk to the mic then it would translate it and use the speaker to say it out loud." FUCKING HANDY! I WANT ONE! But I want one where I can choose which language that I want to translate into or from. "How about trying the speaking function?"

"Sure, how do I configure this thing to another language or is it stuck in Sakuran?" Several beep bop later and then a speaker near my ear speaks out in the Sakuran language. I have no idea if it's actually translating what I was talking or if it's fucking with me and say something offensive.

"That's good. It works as expected." Well, I guess that concludes our test run. "And to answer your question, you're going to need a specific software installed on your laptop or phone to configure the earpiece. You can use the USB connection to install a new language pack. As a warning, it could only hold one language pack at a time." Of course! I don't expect this tiny earpiece to have a memory size of an entire hard disk or something. It would break the law of physics.

"Thanks, miss Tsuyo. This would definitely help."

"Don't mention it. It's for everyone's benefit anyway." 'Everyone's benefit'? I would expect her to discourage me from interacting with the locals considering that I'm a part of Azur Lane so why is she giving me something that will make it easier for me to do that? I don't understand. "Come on, I'll guide you to your temporary base."


You're a danger, Stella.

"If you want to cheer me up then die."

Yeah, the bitch name is Monty and I'm in the process of turning her into a cock-slave.

Azur Lane is a sexist organization that poorly treats its male employees.

"As long as you take responsibility, sure."