Yamato might not have come with equipment when she first manifested, but over the years, she had collected what she believed was one of the finest loadouts in the world: three 5-star US-made 16-inch triple gun turrets (MK6). These were the best battleship guns available for development, boasting +24 firepower and an extra +2 accuracy.
However, what she truly treasured was a 5-star 91 AP shell, offering +6 firepower, +1 accuracy, and, most importantly, a 20% armor-piercing bonus. At auctions, this alone could fetch bids in the hundreds of millions.
But compared to Tirpitz's 6-star Type 1 AP shell, the difference was night and day. Historically, the Type 1 shell was an upgrade of the 91 AP shell, offering even more firepower and an additional 5% armor-piercing effect. It was a legendary item, existing only in records—Yamato had never seen anyone actually own one.
As for the MK6 guns, their gap from Tirpitz's cannons represented not just a difference in stars, but a chasm in overall performance.
At this moment, Yamato was burning with jealousy. She wanted nothing more than to strip Tirpitz of all her equipment and claim it for herself.
Hikaru, well-accustomed to seeing this look in others, simply grinned.
"We're heading home now. See ya."
Yamato blocked his path, her violet eyes smoldering.
"The Lonely Queen of the North Sea? Hah! I've met Bismarck before—what a letdown. A paper tiger through and through. How about you? Dare to prove your worth?"
Tirpitz sneered.
"I've already defeated countless enemies like you, so many Yamatos I've lost count. You're not worthy."
Sensing they were about to clash, Hikaru quickly stepped between them.
"Come on now, why are we talking about fighting? Aren't we all friends?"
Yamato smirked coldly, pointing a finger at Tirpitz.
"I'll be waiting for you at sea."
With that, she twisted space and vanished.
Tirpitz tried to shake Hikaru's grip.
"Let go, I'm going to smash her."
After a moment's thought, Hikaru released her, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.
"Consider this a blessing for a warrior about to set out."
Tirpitz huffed, wiped her lips, and disappeared in a flash.
Their power was beyond comprehension, but Hikaru was starting to grasp it, and with Tirpitz by his side, his own abilities had grown even stronger than when Lexington arrived. Battleships, after all, relied more on raw power than on aircraft, making their physical abilities far superior.
California, stars twinkling in her eyes, snuck up to Hikaru.
"Commander, could you ask Tirpitz to let me borrow her gear for a couple of days? I'll even let you play with my braid."
Without saying a word, Fletcher dragged California away.
"Do you even understand your own faction? You're from the US fleet, she's from the German fleet. Once the Iowa-class arrives, you'll have all the best gear you could want. Stop calling that shut-in your 'big sister.' It's embarrassing!"
Lexington walked over to Hikaru and whispered,
"Tirpitz is incredible when she gets serious… but I still liked her better before. She was cuter."
Wrapping his arm around Lexington's shoulder, Hikaru laughed.
"I'm working on it. Oh, by the way, my love, tonight I want to sleep with Tirpitz."
Lexington frowned.
"What about your nightmares without me?"
"Let her recharge on some Commander Energy first."
"…Fine. But tomorrow night, you're mine again. Now, what do you want for dinner?"
"Let's go with some German sausages, sauerkraut stew, sliced ham, and some black beer."
"All German dishes, huh? You really are spoiling Tirpitz. But those aren't easy to find. Let's see what we can get."
"I love you the most."
"I love you too."
That evening, a massive storm began brewing over the southern seas, spawning towering waterspouts. The sudden shift in weather also brought a violent storm to Windridge.
The news denied any abyssal flagship involvement, attributing it to natural causes while explaining the storm's terrifying power.
"In the past hour, the energy released by the storm's core equates to the detonation of a thousand ten-megaton nuclear bombs. The city's meteorological bureau is investigating the cause…"
Lexington brought over a plate of sashimi, setting it down in front of Hikaru. Noticing the worried look on his face, she sat beside him and squeezed his hand.
"It's Tirpitz's power—the North Sea Storm."
"Is that the one that reduces enemy hit rate?" Hikaru asked, still a little dazed.
Lexington nodded.
"Don't worry, she has no weaknesses now. Yamato won't be able to touch her."
Hikaru's curiosity was piqued.
"What if it were you? Who would win between you and Yamato?"
Lexington only smiled in response, making the answer crystal clear.
Shortly after dinner, there was a knock at the door. Fletcher quickly went to answer it.
Tirpitz entered, soaking wet, carrying an unconscious Yamato over her shoulder. Tirpitz looked only a little tired.
As Hikaru got up to meet her, he realized he had only sensed Tirpitz's arrival when she knocked on the door—compared to her, he was still lacking.
"How'd it go?"
"She's strong, but not strong enough," Tirpitz replied, casually tossing Yamato onto the stone table with a thud.
"Jeez, did you kill her out of embarrassment or something?"
"Of course not. We agreed to stop at moderate damage, but she cheated, so I knocked her out and brought her back." Tirpitz stretched lazily. "Got any hot water? I need a bath."
California eagerly offered to show her the way.
"Just take a bath first. We'll talk about repairs later. Lexington made some German dishes. See if they're to your liking."
Tirpitz glanced at Hikaru and huffed but followed California nonetheless.
At the dinner table, California kept pestering Tirpitz about her fight with Yamato.
"If I'd gone in fully supplied, I could have beaten her with just light damage thanks to my longer range. I finished her off up close with my ship rigging. It wasn't hard."
Elizabeth ,tending to the still-unconscious Yamato, tilted her head.
"How does having full supplies make such a big difference? Long-range fire isn't that much of an advantage."
Hikaru exchanged a glance with Lexington, immediately understanding.
In the game, there was a system called Tactical Training. Though Hikaru had slacked off in many areas, he had trained certain key tactics for his battleships. Both Lexington and Tirpitz had mastered a level 110 tactic called "Reserve Ammunition," allowing them to carry 10% more ammo and giving them a significant endurance edge.
However, Hikaru figured Elizabeth wouldn't really understand. After all, in this world, shipgirls didn't seem to have access to tactical training, nor did they control their own retrofits. Even just mentioning "level 110" would probably blow her mind.
Yamato was likely level 100, the cap before level expansions. Reaching 110 required so much experience it could take a level 1 shipgirl all the way to level 90, showing just how wide the gap between her and Tirpitz really was.
Remembering the earlier news about the storm, Hikaru turned to Tirpitz.
"Hey, that storm out at sea—was that your ability? The North Sea Storm?"
Tirpitz nodded while gnawing on a pig's foot.
No one could maintain their poker face in front of good food. As she chewed, her expression softened.
Real-world abilities seemed to differ from the game's mechanics. Lexington's ability, "Pioneer of Aerial Tactics," massively boosted her and her allies' air power, though currently, she had no other carriers to work with.
Hikaru suddenly remembered something about Tirpitz's sister, Bismarck. In the game, Bismarck's "Flagship Hunter" skill had always seemed lackluster, but in the real world…
"Hey, Tirpitz, about your sister's Flagship Hunter ability—can it really hit targets from dozens of kilometers away without missing?"
Tirpitz rolled her eyes.
"Duh. And you never let her use it. You always made her use her damage reduction skill to farm aluminum from the Abyssals."
Yeah… back in the game, Hikaru had only used Bismarck for low-level grinding. But thinking about it now, the real ability sounded terrifying.
Guaranteed long-range sniping? Invulnerability to all attacks below eight damage? Tirpitz had only taken light damage against Yamato—if it had been Bismarck, she might not have taken a scratch.
Dinner continued with the shipgirls chatting and joking. Elizabeth helped clean up, then carried Yamato off with her.
Later, as Hikaru announced the night's sleeping arrangements, Tirpitz crossed her arms.
"I'm not sleeping with you. No way."
Hikaru grabbed her by the shoulders, gazing into her eyes.
"Let me warm your bed. It's the least I can do."
Lexington chuckled.
"His embrace is the warmest place in the world. Trust me."
Tirpitz mumbled something under her breath and turned her head away, saying nothing.
[End of Chapter]
[50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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