*PoV of Sakura Zeimachi*
Soon, we'll reach that port again by boarding the pirate ship owned by "The best pirate I've ever seen." Actually I didn't intend to return to that place, because I thought they could solve their problems on their own without more interference from someone like me as an outsider.
They're neither a trophy nor a display to be proud of as one's possession. In here they're soldiers who fought with their lives on the line in order to protect their own precious thing.
Although it sounds cruel and heartless, this is what I think is best so that they can continue to live on their own without having to depend on the purpose of life for just one person.
Plus, this isn't the first time I've been in a world themed around the game "Azur Lane". Maybe tens, maybe hundreds... I don't know how many for sure. The world that is created from the knowledge of many people will indeed be very many and varied.
Maybe this is what the "Curse of Knowledge" means. By knowing different things, people will have different understandings. It's the same with this world.
There are people who only know about their appearance and become interested in it, and there are also people who are deeply attracted to an individual in a different dimension.
They are Ship Girls, it is undeniable if there is the word "girl" inside of it. As a girl they have their own heart and emotion, and not just the appearance of a mere 2D screen in this and also the other worlds created by the [Knowledge] that comes from them.
But at the same time...
'No matter whether they're soldier or not, you still look at them as a bunch of kids. Right my dude?' (Loli-man)
I couldn't deny it, due to the fact that in my view they're all just a bunch of girls born to be weapons of destruction. Even if Friedrich or Illustrious appeared before me, I would still consider them a girl younger than myself.
Such was my view after repeatedly meeting them in different worlds from a distant past.
'Naww man...Those are huge milkers with ara-ara aura surrounding their body! How can you count them up as younger girl?!' (Loli-man)
'...Could you shut for a moment, I'm contemplating about the meaning of my life over here.' (Sakura Zeimachi)
'Well who cares about the meaning of your life, don't you forget about our deal?' (Loli-man)
Loli-man is one of the personalities that I have, he really likes very dangerous things that can make me languish behind bars because of his actions. At first I wanted to throw him back into the Chamber of Mind and tell him to be quiet, but when I remembered our "agreement" which he paid for in the form of accessories, I withdrew that intention.
'Fine, a deal is a deal. Since you helped me with a gift for Moriarty, I'll do this for that.' (Sakura Zeimachi)
Our agreement is for me not to even try to get out of the way, dodge, or run away whenever a girl tries to approach me when I return to the world of Azur Lane. Actually he didn't say which [world], but I'll assume so for now.
It sounded stupid and I didn't hold back from the thought, but with the bracelet he brought me earlier, I was able to make Moriarty happy even though the gift I gave her was a bracelet worth of a cup noodle.
'Kukuku...Oh you my brother, I don't want you to turned into a dense motherfakka so please tell me that's a joke. (El Dust)
I know, if Loli-man actually acts as a bridge that wants to connect me with Moriarty, but when I saw what he wanted, for some reason I felt sorry for following his gameplay.
'Hey... I'm the one who finish most of the job, so I think I deserve some reward.' (Loli-man)
'Well... I thought about the same for Loli-man, but why you didn't state "Loli only" in your agreement my lolicon brother?' (El Dust)
'You know I'm not greedy if its about loot. So take it as your bonus ma man~ Although... I REALLY want most of it to be a loli.' (Loli-man)
'Uhuhuhu that's exactly my lolicon brother! Anyhow...There's awfully lot of sweet blood in that port. Ah~~~ Please get as close as possible to them my brother! and do touch their skin so I can feel the blood within their body~!' (El Dust)
As can be seen, the two of them were extremely dangerous by in another meaning, but it can't be helped, since at one time they were also a part of me.
'...Hopefully there won't be much of Yandere that catch you as their interest Gentleman.' (Necro-phi/Vandango)
'Ck! Who cares!? Just slap their assess and nip their neck! How could you even let them played some dominating role at you!' (Sengoku)
'Ahahaha! I thought where you guys were going, but to think you're all in here! Humu I see, looks like we're discussing about girls isn't it! ..... My FRIEND! How could you betray our faith for FU HUA!?' (Nanekluh ref Rednialsig)
At first only a few were noisy in my head, but without realizing it the five of them immediately joined my monologue, and because I thought they had gone overboard, I forced them to go back to where they were and leave me alone to find my peace as a musician on this ship.
As I said before, currently I'm still sitting on the Cajon which functions as a rhythm accompaniment instrument, and next to me is Hylia-san who is humming because she's waiting for me who is still thinking about what song I should play next.
"Hmm? Zei, Zei, behind you."
While I was thinking about what song to play next, Hylia-san suddenly called my name and told me to look behind. I listened to her without saying much and after looking back, I saw Eldridge who is standing still at a very close distance behind my back.
Judging by the expression on her face, it didn't seem like she was in a happy state, added with the fact if her body sometimes gave off electricity like a certain Biri-Biri Misaka.
'Awwh yeahh! One loli in bag sir! Alright-alright!' (Loli-man)
'...' (Sakura Zeimachi)
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"...Commander...You...Real?" (Eldridge kept staring at him who was contemplating what song to play next.)
On the bridge of the Black Pearl pirate ship, there's Eldridge who was staring at Sakura Zeimachi's face in wonder. The long ahoge on top of her head also formed a question mark as if to manifest her curiosity.
She's a destroyer-type ship girl and it was obvious from her type that she was short in stature, with her blonde hair in twin tails and amber eyes, Eldridge looks really cute in her white tights suit accompanied with her ahoge who moves like a tentacle when she wants to express her expression.
"...You're..."
The instant he looked at Eldridge, Sakura Zeimachi already knew more or less what the ship girl in front of him had passed. To him, what happened to Eldridge was not something that was very sad or made her suffer more than anyone else.
Nevertheless he understood, if person's suffering couldn't be measured by other's suffering alone, due to the fact that everyone even himself, has something that one doesn't want to compare with others.
Eldridge was one of the victims of the "Three Days of Hell", she who had no one to rely on at that time had to endure her loneliness and suffering alone until her mind and body gave up even the thought of living.
"You're right! Don't tell me, you thought I'm a hologram?!"
It could be concluded that she's one of the rehabilitation patients who obtained the [Feather] from Sakura Zeimachi to improve her mental state through the power from Key of Consciousness. Everyone's dreamland is different and Eldridge is no exception.
In her dreamland where she lies alone without any desire to continue her life, there Eldridge meet someone. Someone who casually lay beside her for a very long time and continue to stay beside her even though she didn't care a bit of that person.
The person didn't say anything, he just continued to be by her side and became the person who filled the emptiness in Eldridge's dream.
"Commander..."
"Yes, what's wrong?"
As time passed and the many times they spent together, Eldridge began to pay attention to the person in her dream. However, since the ship girl wasn't the type to talk easily, it was very difficult for her to muster up the courage to talk to that person after she locked her voice for so long.
"...Commander..."
"Yes, what's wrong Eldridge?"
It's not that Eldridge couldn't talk to the person in her dream, in the end the ship girl managed to greet the person she didn't recognize, and they both lived in Eldridge's dreamland and spent their time in a dream created by the little ship girl's wish.
However...Dream will have its end.
When the person in her dream realized that Eldridge was starting to be happy again and gained the light in her eyes, the person said goodbye to the ship girl.
Of course this made Eldridge sad because a very pleasant time for her would end with the departure of the only person who always accompanied her in the solitude.
Seeing the gloomy face of the ship girl in front of him, that person then uttered a sentence while carrying Eldridge into his arms and encouraging her to continue what she already had in the real world.
"...Commander...Hug..." (Eldridge reach up her hands to ask him for a hug while emitting some electricity)
"Eh? Uhh..."
Seeing the ship girl who asked him for a hug, Sakura Zeimachi felt panicked. He is a person who doesn't like to be hugged, not only because of the Sengoku factor that is inside him, but it can also be noted that Sakura Zeimachi is very weak to such acts that showed affection within them, just like the hug Eldridge wanted right now.
Very different from him who was in the ship girl's dream.
"Don't...Hug?" (Eldridge tilted her head but she didn't seem upset)
Due to the effect of [Feather] which erased almost all of her memories in dreams, at this time Eldridge did not know that Sakura Zeimachi was a mysterious person who always accompanied her in dreamland until she felt happy again.
Even so, there's one thing she remembered...
...And it was his words that made her impatient to see that person again after Eldridge opened her eyes.
"Alright I'll do it jeez... Come here Eldridge, charge at me however you want!"
"Nn..." (Eldridge rushes her way to be hugged by the person who told her...)
'Let us meet again in the distant future, Eldridge. Hmm? What if I can't fine you? Ahaha! Don't worry, because...'
"Ghuaah! This much is nothing!"
Eldridge finally landed in the arms of the person she had forgotten about. A surge of electricity shot out of her body, and flowed into Sakura Zeimachi who continued to endures the pain for the sake of making amends, plus his agreement.
"Commander..." (Eldridge looked up to his face with innocent and appealing smile)
"Y-Yes Eldridge?"
"...Eldridge...Find you ♥" (Eldridge resumed her embrace with more electricity with her ahoge formed a love symbol, let's embrace her affection!)
'...You'll definitely met me again, I'm sure about it.'
Sakura Zeimachi's screams filled with his determination to hold back the hug from the loli pikachu, the panic that Eldridge would turn into a Yandere, and his resignation with what had happened filled the pirate ship's bridge.
His screams caused the rest of the crew to approach their commander and try to separate the two of them, though it was no use until they reached their final destination where Eldridge finally let go of her arms.
"Fuwa?"
"Yes, you're right Fuwa."
On the other hand, there's a little girl with feasty hair and a furrball who wrote notes of what they had observed.
...
....
.....
*Azur Lane Port*
The place is the harbor of Azur Lane academy...Well, technically it was. This is also where he first landed and met the submarine girl U-101.
Previously that place was not as crowded as it is now, because many ship girls were forced to be used as lust gratifications and were stripped of all their weapons especially for those who resisted, this place became the path of ship girls who managed to escaped from the clutches of those depraved people and escaped onto their base camp.
At the place that was being talked about, there was a group of ship girls who had received news that their commander would arrive through that route.
They consisted of Warspite and Dido from the Royal Navy, accompanied by Amagi and Kaga from Sakura Empire. By now, the five of them had arrived at the place first because they're worried that Kaga would do something unexpected to Sakura Zeimachi because of her desperament for Akagi who hadn't yet woken up.
What? I said five because there's Enterprise Alter who was secretly watching their movements from a hidden place while clutching her black coat which she wore around her neck.
"Are you...Will you really save us again, commander."
Actually she was the first to arrive at the place compared to the other four ship girls, in any case, right now she's standing alone while leaning on a hut in the harbor. It is still unknown what intentions she has for Sakura Zeimachi, and whether she really IS the Enterprise, or maybe she's a META Ship Girl who has a similar look to Enterprise.