THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW
Meanwhile, near the Azur Lane base, the Sakura Empire fleet sails on. Akagi tends to Kaga's wounds; Akagi herself treated her injuries some time ago, but Kaga hadn't done so as she was walking around, angrily contemplating Pisco's fleet. Now, Akagi forces Kaga to sit down so she can treat her injuries.
Akagi: Please, Kaga, try not to move too much.
Kaga: But sister, show a bit more concern. Who is she, and why did she attack us? Clearly, she is from the Sakura Empire. It's not just that! She bears the insignia of the imperial family of our glorious empire!
Akagi: You might be right, but I've never seen her before, so she could clearly be an Azur Lane ship disguised as a Sakura Empire ship. You know, she could be a spy ship.
Kaga: You might be right, but she has rotary-wing aircraft. We are still developing our own planes, and Iron Blood managed to produce a prototype a month ago... Eagle Union and Royal Navy don't have the technology, let alone the capability to build one.
Akagi: Yes, something smells fishy here. Azur Lane doesn't have the capability to build one either, and those rotary-wing aircraft looked better than Iron Blood's prototype.
CLANK...
A metallic noise puts Kaga on alert, and when she looks up, she is greatly displeased to see Prinz Eugen sitting on Akagi's antenna.
Eugen: Sorry for interrupting such an important conversation.
Kaga: (hostile look) Kisama...
Eugen: Please don't look at me like that; we are allies, remember? The Sakura Empire and Iron Blood are allies.
Eugen then jumps down from the antenna and lands on the deck near Akagi, then walks towards her.
Eugen: Right, Akagi?
Akagi: Of course, we are comrades pursuing the same ideal. Everything we do is for the victory of the Red Axis.
Eugen: I'm impressed with how you can control Siren ships, even if they are mass-produced... Is it an advancement in your secret project?
Akagi: It's all the will of heaven...
At this point, Eugen sits on a bench and starts eating dangos.
Eugen: That being said, you're being very cautious. You could easily go all out and crush that base. (Mocking tone) Did your sister's scratch scare you that much?
Eugen looks in the direction of Kaga's carrier, which is missing more than half of its flight deck.
Kaga gets very angry and tries to go punch Eugen, but Akagi stops her.
Akagi: Please don't say that. Where is the love in all of this? They need to be punished more severely... besides, there was interference; that carrier is very special.
Eugen: The most powerful carrier of Azur Lane and Eagle Union... USS Enterprise, or better known as the Gray Ghost.
Kaga: Gray Ghost didn't show up in the battle, but what we need to be careful of is the spy ship built by Azur Lane.
Eugen: (intrigued) Spy ship?
Akagi: It's a carrier with factions identical to ours and has the ability to carry rotary-wing aircraft much better than your country.
Eugen: (doubtful) Azur Lane building rotary-wing aircraft? Don't make me laugh that was a very tasteless joke.
Kaga: It's not a joke we're dead serious.
Eugen: (serious expression) Are you serious?
Akagi: Dead serious.
Eugen: Well, this will be troublesome, but having a rotary-wing aircraft doesn't mean it's a threat. A combat fighter is hundreds of thousands of times superior to a rotary-wing aircraft. It's worth noting that the air superiority of a standard combat fighter is definitive.
At this moment, a communication comes in from Zuikaku.
Zuikaku: [Senpai, I found them. It's a separate fleet heading to Pearl Harbor.]
Kaga: Just as Ayanami reported.
Akagi: In that case, why don't we trouble them a bit more? [Can you handle it? It might be immature, but it's an easy task to accomplish.]
Zuikaku: (uncomfortable) [Understood.]
Akagi: Now, I ask you, Prinz Eugen, the famous warrior of Iron Blood.
Kaga: The Fifth Division has encountered some enemies; there's no reason to let them go unpunished.
Akagi: I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I worry a lot about my juniors. If the forces of Iron Blood mobilize to help, I would be more at ease.
Eugen: (gets up) Well, I suppose...
She throws the dango stick, and it lands 2 cm away from Kaga's left foot, making Kaga very angry.
Eugen: I'll take Z23 and your friend Ayanami.
Akagi: Yes, we would be honored to witness a demonstration of your strength.
TIME SKIP
Meanwhile, at sunset, Z23 meets with Ayanami, who seems very distracted, gazing at the horizon.
Z23: Ayanami.
Ayanami: (notices Z23's presence) Nimi, what's going on?
Z23: We have a mission; please follow us.
Ayanami: Another battle?
Z23: Indeed, an enemy fleet is sailing near our position, far from the enemy base. We'll strike them before they return to their base.
Ayanami: (Thoughtful) The enemy...
Ayanami recalls all the actions they took against Azur Lane, and she has many doubts in her heart.
Ayanami: I don't like to fight, but I also enjoy it.
Z23: Please don't be so selfish all of a sudden!
Ayanami: Z23, do you like to fight?
Z23: What we like or not is irrelevant; our duty is to execute our mission without questioning... we are warships, born to fight.
Ayanami: Ayanami doesn't fully understand it...
To be continued