Location: Azur Lane's newly constructed base
The outcome of the attack on the base was quite devastating. The harbour is a place of shattered warships. The crackling sound of the fire that engulfed the ones that weren't in combat added to the heartbreaking of the shipgirls along with the damaged infrastructures and gust of smoke that added to the horror of the tragedy.
It's a total devastation. Yet something about that scene stirs something else in Boboiboy as he, Illustrious Prince of Wales watched the horrifying scenery of oil fires on the water and the choking black smoke produced.
"The destruction reminds me a lot of that Pearl Harbour movie... Could it be that I ended up in another world where the timeline takes place just like in Pearl Harbour, but the ships can transform into girls with weapon mountings on them?" thought Boboiboy.
Amid the upsetting situation, several dinghies with adorable-looking yellow birds in various sizes that one might mistake as chicks known as the Manjuus can be seen helping to pull the exhausted physically and emotional shipgirls from the water and bring them back to safety.
"They got us. I didn't expect the Sakura Empire to make the first move," said Prince of Wales.
"The Sakuran allying with the Iron Blood and forming the Crimson Axis was no surprise but..." Illustrious stopped momentarily, feeling a pang of hurt deep inside her.
"Are they aware of how dangerous the power of the Siren is?" said Prince of Wales with a severe tone and expression, but this demeanour changed when Boboiboy raised his hand to ask.
"Err... Excuse me. May I ask, Your... Highness?" said Boboiboy.
"Yes, go ahead, and it's okay if you want to address me as 'Ms. Wales', Boboiboy," said her.
"Since I'm still new here, can you... Err... Tell me an explanation about the thing... The alliance that is called the 'Crimson Axis' and why the Sakura Empire and the Iron Blood created it?" asked Boboiboy.
With a sigh, Prince of Wales replied, "It's a long story,"
"Make it short," said Boboiboy.
"The short story is..." Wales paused before she summoned a bright, glowing blue cube in her right hand.
"Eh... That cube? If I was right, back during my stand-off with the two foxes, I saw Akagi hold something similar like yours, but dark in colour," said Boboiboy, recognizing it.
"This cube is not an ordinary cube, Boboiboy. It's called a 'Mental Cube'," said Wales.
"A Mental Cube? What's that?" asked Boboiboy.
"It's an unknown substance brought to humanity through the battle against the Sirens. It is the basis on which we are created, imbued with the power to fight against Sirens," explained Wales.
"And that power is..."
"The power of warships," added Illustrious before Wales continued.
"With the power of warships, we conquer the seas and defeat the Sirens, retaking back what once belonged to humankind. Yet, in pursuit of even more power, humanity was split into two,"
"Split into two? Let me guess... It's Azur Lane and the... Crimson Axis, correct?" said Boboiboy.
"Exactly... The Crimson Axis, an alliance formed by the Sakura Empire and the Iron Blood desires to take the power of the Sirens including their high techs. They raised a rebellion against Azur Lane," said Wales.
"So... Let me get this straight. You're saying that the Sakura Empire and this Iron Blood are so greedy for power that they split from the Azur Lane, forming the Crimson Axis to use the Siren's technology and then backstab you guys?" said Boboiboy.
Both Illustrious and Prince of Wales nodded, confirming Boboiboy's deduction.
"As for now, the Royal Navy's main forces should arrive soon. Let's hope we will not be caught off guard again," said Illustrious.
"Heh... Even if we're caught off guard, let them know that there's a new challenger in the arena," said Boboiboy with confidence, which caused Illustrious to giggle.
"Dear me. Boboiboy, even though this is the first time we met, you've displayed a good first impression of yourself with your superhuman abilities," said Illustrious.
"Superhuman abilities? Oh, you mean my elemental powers?" said Boboiboy.
"Elemental powers?" asked Wales.
"Mmhmm. It's a long story - I'll make it as simple for you two," said Boboiboy.
"Do tell us," said Illustrious and Wales.
"Okay... When I was about the age of Unicorn or something like that, I received this elemental power from my robot friend named Ochobot, and he is no ordinary robot - he's a Power Sphere," said Boboiboy.
"Power Sphere?" asked Illustrious.
"Yes, Power Spheres. They are high-tech robots that come in different sizes but are mostly round, carry personalities like humans and have unimaginable powers,"
"These Power Spheres... Are the Sirens among them?" asked Wales, eager to know more.
"Err... I'm not sure... I have yet to meet any of these Sirens, but as far as I know, the Power Spheres were built by an Alien race known as the Kubulus from a planet called Ata Ta Tiga to serve as protectors of the galaxy until their creators overcame greed for power," explained Boboiboy.
"Oh, dear... I never thought that extraterrestrial beings have the desire to protect the universe given that we've conflicted with Sirens for years, yet ended up greedy for power... Just like... Us" said Illustrious.
"What happened to the Power Spheres?" asked Wales.
"They reprogrammed some Power Spheres to become ruthless, mindless destroyers. With these robots, the Kubulus conquered many planets across the galaxy and formed a new empire,"
"Just like the Crimson Axis," thought Wales and Illustrious.
"And the rest?" asked Illustrious.
"The rest rebelled against the evil ways of the Kubulus as it was against the original purpose of their creation. Led by Klamkabot, a first-generation Power Sphere, he and other Power Spheres proceeded to attack them, but the Kubulus were well-prepared for their rebellion and succeeded in destroying many of them,"
Hearing that, Illustrious and Prince of Wales had shivers sent down their spine. To think that when one's invention turned against its master for its evil intention, only for the master to be well-prepared for the invention's rebellion is something unfathomable for the two.
"Boboiboy, can you perhaps skip that part and... Tell us how you gained your power?" said Illustrious.
"Alright... As I mentioned, the Power Spheres carried unimaginable powers that could even be granted to anyone they desired. As for me, Ochobot gave the power of elemental manipulation," said Boboiboy.
"Elemental manipulation? Just the same thing, right? Like the elemental power?" asked Wales.
"Ha'ah. Plus, with this power, I can split into either two, three, five or seven forms of elemental powers. That's not including the fusion ones," said Boboiboy.
"Split into... Wait! Does that mean... *gasp* The one we previously witnessed during the fight against Kaga and Akagi was..." Wales tried to pull a word out of her mouth as she held Boboiboy on his two shoulders while staring at him in disbelief.
"Eh? What's the matter?" asked Boboiboy.
"So it was your elemental split," Illustrious made a small exclaim.
"Hehe... I guess you two are a little bit late to catch a hint... Essentially the elemental split produces 'copies', but still on each form that is called upon. Therefore, the elemental forms are myself, each with a unique personality that, in one way or another ties back to our original personality. During the elemental split, we also use our elemental names," said Boboiboy.
"Whoa..."
"I guess I would add more confusion to both of you if I tell you two more about it," said Boboiboy before he heard Unicorn calling for him.
"Big brother!" said her as she raced to him.
"Hi, Unicorn! Are you okay?" asked Boboiboy.
"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me! U-chan also said thanks to you," The young shipgirl squealed.
"U-chan? Who's that?" asked Boboiboy before the unicorn plush in her hands squirmed.
"Eh!? It's alive!?" said Boboiboy, surprised.
"Mmmm... Don't worry, she won't bite... Ehehe..." said Unicorn shyly.
As Boboiboy and Unicorn continued their conversation, Prince of Wales and Illustrious proceeded with their talk.
"Eagle Union's Enterprise... She truly saved us this time, along with Boboiboy," said Wales.
"Yes... Yet, the Grey Ghost is unsafe..." replied Illustrious.
"She is strong. She has no hesitations, like an arrow flying straight in the air. But..."
"A tightly strung bow can easily snap,"
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Javelin and Laffey skimmed through the water as they headed for a nearby dock. Once arrived, the two leapt onto it as their riggings transformed into mental cubes that formed into their ships.
"Phew~ I'm glad everyone seems to be okay," said Javelin as she turned around, only for her to see Laffey lying on the ground - her expression turned into a worried one in an instant.
"Wait, Laffey. Are you okay!?"
"Maybe not... Too sleepy," Laffey replied in a monotone as she slowly lifted her head.
"Err... Laffey! Please don't sleep out here!" said Javelin as she rolled the sleepy Eagle Union destroyer to the other side and carried her onto her left arm.
Coincidentally, the two bumped into Prince of Wales, Illustrious, Boboiboy and Unicorn who were heading for them.
"Eh? Isn't that the lavender-haired shipgirl that got hit by my lightning dagger? And who's that sleepy-looking bunny shipgirl on her left arm?" asked Boboiboy, recognizing the shipgirl.
"Oh... That's Javelin and Laffey!" said Unicorn before she raced for the two while calling out for their name.
"Unicorn, are you okay? Were you hurt?" asked Javelin.
"I'm all fine, Javelin! It's all thanks to Big Brother Boboiboy!"
"Boboi-who?"
"Hi," said Boboiboy, waving his hand to Javelin.
It didn't take long for the Royal Navy destroyer shipgirl to recognize him and instantly blushed furiously, remembering her rather awkward first encounter with him.
"Urm... H-Hi?" Javelin replied timidly while covering herself with her purple hood scarf.
"Uh? The mysterious boy?" said Laffey despite being sleepy.
"Hi, you two. My name's Boboiboy. How are you two doing?"
"So tired. Also hungry, sleepy," said Laffey before she pulled a bottle of coke out of nowhere and opened the cap with ease before drinking it.
"Nice to meet you two," said Boboiboy.
"Um... Boboiboy, right? How did you end up in the base of Azur Lane?" asked Javelin.
"It's a long story. Perhaps, I will tell you later, and can I ask you something?" said Boboiboy.
"Yes, what is it?" asked Javelin.
"Do you know who's the Sakuran shipgirl that was wielding the sword and tried to attack you and me just now?" asked Boboiboy.
"Oh... That is Ayanami... An improved Fubuki-class Type II destroyer," answered Javelin.
"Ayanami? Fubuki-class?"
Javelin replied with a hmm and a look on her face.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"I... I wish I didn't have to fight with her... I hope that I can..." Javelin halted as she recalled the first time they met with Ayanami in search of Unicorn's U-chan.
"Becoming friends with her," Laffey replied after finishing her coke.
Their conversation was interrupted when Prince of Wales spoke.
"You two both did very well in the battle and must be exhausted. Go ahead and have some rest," said Wales.
"Oh! Miss Wales! T-Thank you!" said Javelin as she bowed before her.
"Anyway... I'm going to search for Enterprise," said Boboiboy as he waved.
"Eh? You're leaving already?" asked Illustrious.
"Yes, Ms. Illustrious. I've got lots of things to ask her," said Boboiboy.
"Perhaps you need a guide to help you," said Wales.
"A guide? No, thank you. I can use my power," Boboiboy replied before his Power Watch glowed.
"Elemental Power! Boboiboy Wind!"
In an instant, his body glowed and shimmered, and his appearance changed to his Wind Element, which caused Unicorn and Javelin's jaws to drop and their eyes sparkled as the two looked up at him.
"Gerak lu, pape roger!" said Wind before he took off to the sky to search for Enterprise, sending in a small wind blast that caused them to cover their face.
Unbeknownst to Wind, his lift-off caused Javelin's white, jagged-end blouse to come off from the button, leaving her naked.
"Uwah! Boboiboy!" Javelin yelped in embarrassment as she let Laffey go from her left arm and quickly wore it back.
"Power Sphere, Ata Ta Tiga, elemental powers... Ehehe... What a bizarre world you are from Boboiboy," said Illustrious as she stared into the empty sky.
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"Steady! Steady! And... Stop!" said Cleveland as a crane helped raise her ship's first turret, revealing several Manjuus working on fixing its emplacement aside from running here and there.
With a sigh, Cleveland murmured, "There are too many ship repairs to do,"
She then registered her head to the left and saw another Eagle Union cruiser, half-sunk and badly damaged, being towed into the repair dock. It's none other than the USS San Diego itself, and she's very upset with it.
"My ship! My poor ship!" San Diego cried before she broke into tears while kneeling in despair while being calmed by another shipgirl.
San Diego is pretty short, she has a slender figure and a medium bust, she has long red hair tied in twin tails with an ahoge on top and has blue eyes. She wears a metal collar with a red necktie attached to it, she wears a topless white buttoned shirt with the red collars strapped on her arms over a brown crop top, a blue pleated skirt, brown thigh-high socks with garters, brown loafers, brown detached sleeves with white cuffs.
"Yikes... Pity you, Sandy," another shipgirl, a Royal Navy destroyer named HMS Glowworm replied.
Glowworm is a shipgirl with a petite frame and a medium bust. She has waist-length greyish-green hair tied in low pigtails by yellow scrunchies, she has green eyes and red & white maid headwear on top of her head, She wears a red dress with yellow buttons, accents and a cleavage window over a white long-sleeved collared shirt with an indigo-coloured necktie, white frilled skirt, violet-coloured thigh-high socks with white frills and a red & yellow ribbon wrapped around her thighs and red loafers.
"sighs... If we at least have a repair vessel with us..." said Cleveland as she and three Manjuus observed before a soft breeze came from above as if something was flying on top of her head.
"Hmm...?"
As she registered head up, she saw Boboiboy in his Wind element.
"Eh? Boboiboy?"
"Hi, Cleveland!" said Wind before he touched down on the deck of her ship and reverted to his normal form.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm here to find Enterprise. Do you know where she is?"
"Enterprise? Coincidentally, I also want to look for her after this," Cleveland said before she noticed a fairly tall shipgirl with waist-length silver hair overlooking the sea.
"Over there!" said her, pointing out where Enterprise was standing with Boboiboy registering his head in the same direction.
"Enterprise!" Boboiboy called out but received no reply from her.
"Eh? Something's off with her, isn't it?"
"Something's not off with her. She's just exhausted but still wants to push herself further," said Cleveland before she climbed down Jacob's ladder and sprinted for her.
"Oi... Enterprise!" she called out.
"Hmm? Cleveland? Boboiboy?" said Enterprise after noticing the two.
"Enterprise! You need to rest. Okay? You pushed yourself too hard in the last battle!" said Cleveland, expressing her worries.
"I'm all fine, Cleveland..."
"Fine? That's impossible... I mean, just look at your ship!" Cleveland doubted as she pointed towards Enterprise's vessel anchored at a nearby dock, which revealed all of the hideous battle damage scars on almost every part of it, notably the flight deck and the guns and some of them seemed to be partially repaired.
"That doesn't seem to be 'fine' to me," said Boboiboy, which was agreed by Cleveland with a hmm.
"The emergency repairs are completed... And I still got some fight in me," said Enterprise before she walked away, only for her to nearly fall on her right knee.
"Eh?!" The two yelped before they fetched Enterprise and helped her to stand.
"See? I've told you," said Cleveland.
"It's okay, you two. As long as the enemy hasn't gone far, I can't lower my guard yet," replied her with a small smile to assure Cleveland.
"Still, you need to rest, okay? Even me also rests from using my elemental powers, or else I'll lose my memory especially when I use my split power many times," said Boboiboy.
"Hah? Your ability can even cause you to lose your memory?" asked Cleveland.
"Ha'ah. Thankfully, it only happens once but it's better to get rid of it. Please, Enterprise. Listen to Cleveland and go get some rest," said Boboiboy.
Enterprise, however, replied with a frown and didn't say anything before she gently pushed the two aside and walked away until she was no longer visible from the two.
"Jeez, seriously!?" grumbled Cleveland as she stomped her feet in disappointment.
"Is she an introverted person?" asked Boboiboy.
"No, she's not. Ever since the Battle of the Coral Sea, her personality changed instantly," said Cleveland.
"The Battle of the Coral Sea? What happened during that battle?" asked Boboiboy.
"It's a long story,"
"Make it short,"
With a sigh, Cleveland begins her story with, "Yorktown..."
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Location: Open Ocean
Somewhere on the vast ocean and sailing further from the newly constructed base of the Azur Lane were Akagi, Kaga and Ayanami. Their ships were sailing not too close and not too far from each other.
On the deck of Akagi, she can be seen treating Kaga's wounds and scratches, though they were not bad all the way.
"Come on, hold still," said Akagi.
"Erk... Nee-sama... You're too close," said Kaga, revealing that Akagi was very close to her, in an inappropriate manner.
"Oh, no. A cut on your face and..." Akagi stopped when she saw the small burnt mark left by Lightning on Kaga's neck.
"Nee-sama... this is such a minor injury..." Kaga retorted.
"No, it would be a tragedy if this left a scar on your beautiful face,"
With that, Akagi licked the scar on Kaga's left cheek, much to the disgust of the converted into an aircraft carrier Tosa-class battleship.
"You must take care of yourself. If something happened to you, I would be sad,"
With a slightly saddened face, Kaga replied, "Deepest apology, Nee-sama. After all, this body is-"
Before Kaga finishes her words, Akagi shushes her.
"Don't mention it. We're like sisters. It's only natural for the elders to deeply care for their younger ones,"
Suddenly, there was a noise as if something landed on top of Akagi's Island control. With a swift, Kaga leapt from the place she sat and looked up.
She saw a woman with a slender frame and a large bust, she had waist-length silver hair tied in twin tails by red ship-like hairclips with a single red strand and brownish-orange eyes. She wears a black detached collar with yellow linings and an iron cross motif, red & grey shoulder sleeves with buttons and an iron cross motif, and she wears black gloves. She wears a grey double-breasted dress top with buttons and red garter straps with an iron cross motif over a red & black leotard, black stockings with metal protectors wrapped around her lower thighs and the back of her shins and red pointed iron boots with grey plates and an iron cross motif.
Prinz Eugen
"Ara~ I hope I'm not interrupting," said Eugen.
"Oh, it's you," said Kaga with a stern tone, immediately recognising her.
"Don't glare at me like that, Kaga. We're allies, remember? You, the Sakura Empire and us, the Iron Blood - allies,"
The second ship of the Admiral-Hipper class heavy cruiser hopped down and approached the two.
"Richtig?" asked Eugen.
"Of course, Prinz. How could I forget? We are comrades, pursuing the same idea. Everything we do for the victory of the Crimson Axis," said Akagi as she held the Black Mental Cube in her hand.
"Ich verstehe... It's quite impressive how you controlled those Siren warships though they may merely be mass-production models. Is this another achievement of that project of yours, Genossin?"
"Everything is Heaven will," replied Akagi.
"That said, you're being quite careful," said Eugen before she took a dango.
"You might as well have crushed that newly built base. Did the scratch on your sister scare you?" the Iron Blood heavy cruiser said with a mocking tone before she took a bite of the dango, much a dismay to Kaga who seemed to be irritated with her.
"Oh, dear, no. Where is love in that? They need to be teased further," added Akagi.
Eugen then noticed the battered condition of Kaga's vessel, and she seemed to know who was doing it.
"Besides, that ship is special. You mustn't underestimate her - Eagle Union's Enterprise; The Lucky E, The Big E, and the Grey Ghost. She could be troublesome for us, you know," said Eugen while feeding the remaining dango to her shark-like riggings.
"Well... The damage isn't just caused by her," said Kaga.
"Hmm?"
With a sigh, Akagi explained, "I'm not sure if Heaven has a will that turned against us, it seems like today, a mysterious boy with a superhuman ability appeared seemingly out of nowhere and ruined our attack,"
"A boy? Superhuman ability? *giggles* Oh wow, now this is getting interesting, if not an elaborate joke. Could the Azur Lane somehow manage to fuse a human with the power of the Mental Cube?" asked Eugen, seemingly fascinated.
"You don't understand, Eugen. Both of us see it with our own eyes. That boy is more than meets the eyes. He can run as fast as lightning even if he's on the surface of the water, he can float in the air, summons wind balls, lightning blades and giant earth spikes, and can split himself into three!" exclaimed Kaga.
Hearing her explanation made Prinz Eugen blink her eyes in disbelief before she burst into laughter. To her, Kaga's information seems to be exaggerated.
"Hmm? What is so funny about it!? I'm speaking the truth!" said Kaga as she raised an eyebrow in anger.
Then, a small red paper plane flew into their view, relaying a message from Zuikaku.
"/Senpai-kata, I've found them! A detachment force\"
"Just as Ayanami reported," said Kaga.
"I suppose we can harass them a bit more. You can handle this, can't you, 5th Carrier Division? You may be immature, but this is hardly a difficult errand," said Akagi.
"/Understood\," said Zuikaku, just before the red paper plane disappeared in a red flame.
Akagi then turned towards Prinz Eugen who had stopped laughing and gained her composure.
"For now, I have a for request you, Prinz Eugen, a famed warrior of the Iron Blood,"
"Mmhmm? Was ist los, Kamerad?" asked Eugen.
"The 5th Carrier Division found some leftovers. There's no reason to let them go," explained Kaga.
"I am ashamed to admit, for I am apprehensive about my juniors. If the Iron Blood is willing to lend us aid, it would be most reassuring," said Akagi.
The Iron Blood heavy cruiser thought for a moment before she concluded.
"Gut, denke ich. I'm taking Z23 and that Ayanami girl from your camp," said Eugen as she got up.
"Yes, we would be honoured to witness the display of your strength, Eugen," said Akagi.
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Dusk.
Ayanami, having some parts of her body bandaged can be seen sitting on top of the second turret of her vessel as she enjoys the beautiful view of the sunset, all alone.
Then, she realized that someone was approaching her from the right. When she took a look, she saw an Iron Blood shipgirl with a short stature and a medium bust. She has short platinum blonde hair with a black, red & yellow ribbon with an iron cross motif, and has sharp blue eyes. She wears a white double-breasted dress top with silver buttons and trimmings over a black turtlenecked top with a dark-blue, yellow trimmed tailcoat, black bike shorts, maroon ankle socks with garters and red, iron cross motifs frilled cuffs, and red pumps. She also wears a blue beret with ribbon lace, black detached sleeves, white gloves and a red & blue armband on her left shoulder.
Z23
"Ayanami," Z23 called out.
"Oh, Z23,"
"We have a mission. Please follow us,"
"Another battle, I guess?"
"Ja. An enemy fleet that was away from the base. We will strike them just before they can return,"
"The enemy?" said Ayanami before she had a flashback of Javelin, Laffey, and Unicorn.
It was a moment of pleasant to meet them even for a brief, but the time when she thought of Boboiboy, she couldn't help but have a chill sent down her spine.
"Z23... I... I don't dislike fighting but... I dislike it either," said Ayanami, which caused Z23 to become baffled by her sudden action.
"Ayanami! Please don't be so selfish all of a sudden!" Z23 retorted.
"Z23, do you like fighting?" asked Ayanami.
"Eh? Err... You see Ayanami, I know what we like is not relevant but we have to execute our mission," said Z23.
"We are warships - born to fight," added her more.
Ayanami, however, appeared to disagree with Z23.
"I don't understand,"
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Location: Azur Lane's newly constructed base
As the sun begins to set, most shipgirls can be seen returning to their respective dormitories. Some are still playing at the beach, some are at the drydocks repairing the ships damaged during the attack, not least those who are studying in the library and also those who have already gone to sleep.
Meanwhile, at the cafeteria, Boboiboy can be seen eating at the eatery's edge while constantly being flooded by the curious kansens, mostly the destroyers and light cruisers, who would like to know more about him.
"Boboiboy! Can you tell us how did you get such power?"
"Boboiboy, just curious. Are you still single?"
"Boboiboy! Would you like to sing along with me? Together, we can become number one, yay!"
"Boboiboy! If given a chance, can we visit Rintis Island together with you?"
"Boboiboy!"
"Boboiboy!"
"Boboiboy!"
His name echoed through the cafeteria, and all of the questions caused him to feel dizzy and lose his appetite to eat his Fish n Chips and salad coleslaw as he had no idea which one of the questions he should answer first. Until...
"Can I know what's with all of the ruckus here!?"
Prince of Wales' thundering voice startled them as she, Illustrious and Unicorn walked into the cafeteria. They quickly returned to their seat and ate their meal quietly, leaving Boboiboy to let out a sigh of relief before taking a sip of orange juice.
"Thank you, Ms. Wales. If it's not because of you, I won't be able to eat peacefully," said Boboiboy.
"I guess you already became a celebrity just in a day because of your superhuman ability, Boiboiboy," said Illustrious, to which he replied with an embarrassed giggle as the two seat along with him after taking their food.
Unicorn then approached him and shyly asked, "Um... Big Brother... Can I sit next to you?"
"Eh? Why not? Take a seat, then," said Boboiboy as he pulled the chair out for her.
"Anyway, where's Ms. Enterprise?" asked Boboiboy.
"Unicorn also wants to say the same thing,"
"If I'm not mistaken, the last time I saw Ms. Enterprise was that she headed straight for her room right after the battle and seemed to not going out after that," said Illustrious.
"I guess she's too tired. After all, judging by the damage to her vessel, I bet she had a rough battle with those planes that Kaga sent," said Boboiboy as he finished his meal.
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Cleveland opens the door to Boboiboy's staying quarter.
"And... Here's your room," said Cleveland.
Boboiboy discovers that the room is a tiny studio apartment but complete with all of the basic things like the bathroom and the study place.
"I'm sorry, Boboiboy, but this is the only room we found suitable for you. The rest has been occupied,"
"No, no, no. It's okay. It looks neat if not beautiful, just like my room back in the TAPOPS station," said Boboiboy.
"TAPOPS? What's that?" asked Cleveland.
"Err... It would be a truly long story even though it is shortened. I'll tell you about it next time, okay?"
With a sigh, Cleveland replied as she handed over the key to his room, "Alright. Anyway, this is your key. Don't lose it!"
"Okay, I will!"
As Cleveland leaves, Laffey passes by.
"Oh, hi Laffey,"
"Hi, Boboiboy..." Laffey replied with a yawn as she stretched her arms and entered her room.
Boboiboy then closed and locked the door before he noticed that it was 7.45 p.m. already.
"Ha!? 7.45! Oh no! I haven't performed my prayer yet!"
Wasting no time, he rushed towards the toilet and took the ablution. Since there's no prayer rug, the blanket served as the substitute. Now, there's only one problem - he can't correctly determine the direction of the qiblah. Still, he cannot just leave the Maghrib prayer for no reason, so he just followed the same qiblah that he used while he was at the TAPOPS station.
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Dawn.
A new day has just begun for Boboiboy in this New World, but fearing that he would incite the same incident just like yesterday at the cafeteria, he decided to spend his time that morning reading the books placed on the shelves.
The books he read emphasised the military, particularly naval warfare, technology and combat doctrine, much to his fascination since he wouldn't have something like this during his study at Rintis Island Secondary School and the TAPOPS Academy.
Then, there was a knock on his door. Having the book in his hand marked on the last page he read, he went to the door and opened it, revealing that it was Vestal.
"Eh? Vestal? Hi, good morning," said Boboiboy.
"Good morning to you too, Boboiboy. So, how was the accommodation? Did you sleep well last night?" asked Vestal, with a slightly flirtatious tone.
"Last night was good for me. Anyway, Vestal. Since I'm already disconnected from my real world, is there anything I can at least help out at the base? I don't want to just stay in the room and do nothing," said Boboiboy.
"Oh. For that... Erm... Yeah, I'm also thinking about that... Perhaps, maybe you can help me with Ms. Enterprise's flight deck after I complete the restoration for the other vessels. I don't think the emergency repairs are enough for her,"
"Good idea! But... I don't know how to repair a warship," said Boboiboy.
"That's why we, repair ships, are created! Don't worry, maybe you can use your elemental powers to help me with this repairing matter like lifting all of the turrets or even better, you can help me to clean the deck! Sounds great, isn't it? Plus, yesterday, I heard that your Lightning self slashed all of the planes sent by Kaga. Is that true?"
Boboiboy replied with a nod, much to the appeal of Vestal.
"Dear me! I wish I was there to witness it!" said Vestal.
"Hehe... Awesome, isn't it?"
That's when Boboiboy's stomach grumbled.
"*gasps* You haven't eaten yet!?" asked Vestal.
"Err... Yeah. You see... I don't want the same thing as yesterday to happen again today. I don't want to be crowded by the shipgirls because of my power,"
"I see... It seems like you're also having the same trouble that most Shikikans got themselves into,"
"Shiki-what?"
"Shikikan. The overall Commander of the Azur Lane's kansens. While this position is mostly dominated by men of the Azur Lane's major camps, there are some instances where you can find female Shikikans on duty, and different bases call for different Shikikans and different kansens stationed. As for now, this newly built base has yet to receive one. However, from what I eavesdropped, and if it is true, this base will be under the order of a Shikikan from the Eagle Union named Zed. Oh, how can't I wait to meet him!"
After hearing Vestal's explanation about Shikikan, Boboiboy was reminded of Admiral Tarung back at the TAPOPS Station. While he is known to be tough, aggressive, strict and ruthless, there are times he can be mild, calm, easy-going, gentle and even supportive.
"Now, back to our main topic. You haven't had your breakfast, right? Maybe I can take it for you. So what would you like to have?"
"Erm... Can you grab me something like an egg salad sandwich or a Red Carrot doughnut, please? A hot chocolate would be good, too," said Boboiboy.
"Hmm... While egg salad sandwiches and hot chocolate are highly available at the cafeteria, I don't think we have such a thing as the 'Red Carrot Doughnut'. Do you mind if I replace it with other doughnuts?"
"Eh? Red Carrot Doughnuts don't exist in this world? Hmm... Yeah, a substitute would be good, too," said Boboiboy, surprised to find that his favourite food doesn't exist in this universe.
.
.
.
Enjoying the beautiful scenery that overlooks the vast ocean while having a picnic were the two destroyers kansens that Boboiboy met yesterday - Javelin and Laffey.
"I hope she's just fine," said Laffey solemnly.
"Ayanami, you mean?" said Javelin after taking a bite from her egg salad sandwich.
"Yes, Ayanami... I wonder if we truly have to fight her?"
The two remain transfixed, wondering about the days to come before a bald eagle flies above their head and makes its way towards a tree. Coincidentally, the two destroyers spotted Enterprise strolling around the cliff.
"Eh? Ms. Enterprise, over here!" said Javelin as she waved towards her.
The second vessel of the Yorktown-class aircraft carrier later joined along as she sat next to them.
"Would you like to have a bite?" said Javelin as she offered a sandwich to her.
"Oh. No, thanks. I already have this," Enterprise replied as she took out three ration bars from her pocket.
"Ms Enterprise, are you still injured?" asked Laffey as she took a mouthful bite of her sandwich.
With a sigh, Enterprise replied, "Yes, Laffey. I'm still injured but... Somehow, my healing has slowed down for no reason..."
"Eh!? Then you should have some rest, Ms Enterprise!" Javelin exclaimed, feeling worried about the aircraft carrier's condition.
"There's nothing need to be worried about, Javelin. Yesterday's emergency repair is sufficient for me," said Enterprise.
The feedback that was given by Enterprise left Javelin speechless. She was thinking, why would she [Enterprise] always push herself harder even if it's beyond her limit and can sometimes be reckless whenever she gets into the fray?
"Ms Enterprise, may I know why you always have to push yourself?"
"Javelin... Do you realise that the purpose of shipgirls is to fight against the Sirens and other threats including the Crimson Axis?"
"Hmm... Laffey doesn't want to work when Laffey... Is sleepy," Laffey added before drinking her oxy cola, much to the two's dumbfounded.
"But Laffey doesn't like it when people pick on Laffey's friends. How 'bout you, Ms Enterprise?"
Enterprise, however, didn't reply as she stared into the blank blue sky.
"Indeed. War never changes," she thought before she had a flashback of yesterday's fight.
She witnessed Boboiboy's ability that not even a single shipgirl possessed. Earth, Wind, Lightning... And more to come, she perceived. It's the power of Mother Nature, something that existed long before the time of humans. Mother Nature, is something that you shouldn't toy with even the slightest. If you did, then she [Mother Nature] would throw her absolute tantrums upon those who wrongs against her.
Still, there are times she [Mother Nature] expresses her anger without any warning or even anyone who wrongs her. Enterprise remembered the story told by Langley, the Eagle Union's first aircraft carrier, of the terrible September earthquake that struck the mainland of the Sakura Empire that occurred years ago.
According to Langley, the earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of Sakuran citizens, and among them were the late battlecruiser Amagi and the late battleship Tosa. Thinking of this made her at least feel sorry for her Akagi and Kaga even though they were her foes, but it got her reckoning something else.
"If Boboiboy has the superhuman ability in the form of Mother Nature, does that mean... War do changes?"