Revisit Azur Lane

New Jersey waved its hand, taking over Yorktown's dominant position in the White Eagles, and assured Zhou He, "We will complete the mission ahead of schedule. Commander, please rest well before our triumphant return."

Logically speaking, Nagato should be the current commander of Sakura Empire, but the little fox doesn't seem to realize that, to the point that some people in Sakura Empire think she has given up her position as the flagship. For example, Kaga loudly proclaims that she should lead the team this time, but most people believe that the two sisters, Shoukaku and Zuikaku, are the right choice, which has caused some chaos in the team. Among them, Tosa came up to Zhou He, who had retreated to the shade, and looked down at him: "Do you remember what I said?"

At this moment, Tosa was backlit, and his expression was so cold that it was almost intimidating. But Zhou He was not afraid. Instead, he smiled and replied, "Of course I remember. But even without the projection, I would have toss and turn at night observing this situation at home."

"After this match, go back and rest as soon as possible, so as not to affect our judgment."

Tosa gave Zhou He a deep look, snorted coldly, turned and left. He grabbed Kaga, who was still clamoring to be the flagship, by the tail and dragged him to the seaside, leaving the latter howling but unable to get angry. As a result, the others looked at each other and followed with suppressed smiles.

"Kaga has really suffered a lot."

Zhou He couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle softly. Then he looked at Yuudachi and Yukikaze, who were still standing in front of him, and spread his hands: "If you go and come back soon, you can probably talk to me for a few more minutes. If you dawdle any longer, I might just fall asleep and deactivate the projection."

"Ah! I'm off to fight the Sirens right now, Commander, wait for me to come back!"

Yuudachi's eyes widened immediately. She grasped Zhou He's hand and gave him earnest instructions. Then, she followed the Sakura Empire's group, looking back every few steps. Zhou He felt as if he was about to be buried.

"Such technology does indeed have flaws."

Xuefeng commented on Zhou He's projection ability, and then took advantage of the fact that no one was around to circle around Zhou He, occasionally reaching out to poke him: "But it feels very realistic, no wonder that stupid dog slept so soundly with you at night."

"..."

Zhou He reasonably suspected that Xuefeng was taking advantage of him, and he could also hear the undisguised envy in her tone. What was going on? Did all the cat and dog ship girls like to be held and cuddled while sleeping?

"Hey? Are you asleep with your eyes open?"

Xuefeng patted Zhou He for a while, but when she didn't hear him say anything or resist, she was a little scared. She ran to the front and looked at Zhou He closely. When she saw his half-smiling expression, she jumped away as if she had been stepped on: "If you're awake, say something. It's scary!"

"You're just scaring yourself. Everyone else has already set off, so you should hurry up and go too."

To be honest, Zhou He was certain that the Xuefeng Meta in front of him had a favorability rating of at least 90. If he took out the ring now, he might be able to successfully make a vow with her after a little tugging.

However, he didn't take it. One reason was that he couldn't afford it, and the other was that he wanted Yukikaze to calm down a bit more. The affection in real life is quite different from that in the game. It's also highly likely that Yukikaze couldn't accept that his playmate had been taken away by Yuudachi because they had played together so much. The situation is probably quite complicated. Let's see how it goes in another half a month or a month.

Before transmigrating, he played the game for five or six years and married a dozen or twenty ship girls by only buying the "Single Wings" ship. He still has most of his life left. Even if he doesn't marry any more ships, he should at least marry the ones who admire him, right? This is a shining example of his personal charm, and he can talk about it when he's old (?).

Therefore, if Yuudachi doesn't object after another month of testing, he can try giving Yukikaze a ring to see if his stats inflate.

"I know, they're just a bunch of executors, it'll only take a few seconds."

Yukikaze, getting impatient from being urged, muttered a few words under her breath and left, mimicking Yuudachi's pattern of looking back every few steps. On the way, she saw Zhou He with his eyes closed and almost ran back to shake him a couple of times, but in the end, she was supervised by Zhou He's gaze as she went into the sea.

"Haah~"

After everyone left, Zhou He couldn't help but yawn. Besides starting to daydream, his eyelids were already drooping, but he still had things to do and couldn't leave.

So he patted his cheeks, got up, and slowly walked to the bottom of a transport boat. He climbed onto the boat using the planks of the bridge, found the kitchen, and stored 30 units of meat and vegetables in the refrigerator. He then used his last two Home Coins to buy a few watermelons. Looking at the beautiful watermelons, his drowsiness somehow subsided. He immediately drew his knife, cut open a watermelon, and started eating it.

……

The Purifiers, leading their Executor forces, approached the island. Zhou He's fleet launched a counterattack to welcome them, and the distance between them quickly closed as they rushed towards each other. There was a team on each side of the island's front, with the Purifiers themselves positioned on the upper side. Among the largest of these teams, she faced a combination of Sakura Empire and Eagle Union. Although these two sides were historical enemies, on Zhou He's side, this mixed force was the strongest in the port.

The four carriers, Shuanghe, Long Island, and Yorktown, launched their carrier-based aircraft for air strikes from a great distance. It was clear that the Purification Queen had not anticipated being attacked first. The carriers around her could only hastily launch their aircraft, and the others also hastily defended against the air. She herself was also urgently turning her anti-aircraft guns to defend against the air.

"Ugh, this guy is awful."

Zuikaku only glanced at the Purifier's performance before realizing she was putting on an act—although the Purifier had been repelled or sunk by them many times before, she had initially fought seriously and used some advanced technologies other than artillery fire. Now that her team had all been upgraded, she could at least buy them a lot of time, if not defeat them.

However, the Purifier in front of her was completely ineffective in combat. She seemed to be trying to defend against the air, but in reality, she didn't shoot down a single plane. At first, Zuikaku was circling around her, but after realizing that something was wrong, she swooped down straight down, and the plane didn't even produce any sparks.

"Has she come to surrender again?"

Shoukaku and the other two were also stunned. Nagashima touched her hair. She had only ever seen the development of enemies turning into allies in adventure games. She never thought that it would actually happen in reality.

"Don't underestimate her. First, eliminate the executors around her, and be wary of a counterattack."

After thinking it over, Xianghe communicated with the others. Yorktown also contacted New Jersey. Previously, the silly rabbit was ready to kill the observer and did not want it to come into contact with Zhou He. However, now that she was facing the Purification Clan who seemed to have surrendered, she decided to observe first, since it was a special order given by Zhou He.

On the high seas, the sounds of artillery fire echoed continuously from three battlefields. The first to resolve the battle was Xuefeng, who set off last. She still unilaterally crushed the Type II Executors, without even tearing their clothes. After checking the corpses, she began her return journey.

The second battle to end was fought by Bismarck and her crew. Their air power was relatively weak, so the initial engagement was quite difficult and intense. However, thanks to the efforts of the Royal Ark, the opposing aircraft carrier was destroyed, and the battle gradually came to an end.

The final and largest battlefield, the Purification Battle, lasted for nearly half an hour. In the end, it was no match for the enemy's air firepower. It was hit by a shell that came from nowhere and flew out, landing on the sea surface and falling silent. After the battle ended, Yuudachi and Ayanami each tied one of their legs and dragged them back.

Thankfully, it was at sea; otherwise, Purification would have been considered an execution.

Chapter 186 XVI

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Is this how you treat prisoners? Glug glug... I have important information, I demand to see your superiors!"

On the sea, the Purifier, who had been dragged halfway by Yuudachi and Ayanami, was howling and occasionally choking on seawater. His hair was plastered to his face and neck, making him look like a refugee who had suffered a great torment.

"You guys are still so energetic; your vitality is truly remarkable."

The two of them pulled Purification away, and there were many more people around. Hearing her shouting, they couldn't help but comment. New Jersey glanced at her and said, "Behave yourself, and you'll be seeing our superiors in a bit."

"Goo?"

The Purifier was taken aback. She remembered that the last time she talked to the commander of these ship girls was through video. She thought she could communicate through video again this time, but she was pulled and tugged as soon as she came up. Could it be that the mysterious commander also came here?

Thinking of this, she immediately stopped making a fuss. She was already able to move in the deep sea, so drifting on the sea didn't really feel like much; it was just a way of venting her frustration.

Not long after, New Jersey and her group returned to Black Tower Island. Bismarck and the others had finished their battle earlier and returned even earlier. They were eating watermelon on the transport ship when Yuudachi saw them and ran to the side of the ship, looking up and calling out, "Is the Commander on the ship?"

"No, the commander is at the camp with Yukikaze. He told you to bring the Purifiers to see him as soon as you get back."

London kindly gave her directions, and she was in a very good mood, eating a watermelon in one hand.

"Okay! Got it, leave some watermelon for us."

After weighing the options, Yuudachi decided that Zhou He was more important, so she discussed it with Ayanami and went ashore. Seeing this, Purification, whose ship equipment was quite damaged, naturally stood up from the water, tidied her hair, and followed her ashore. She looked at the tent campsite not far away, then turned to the main battleships who had not yet come ashore and pointed to the spire in the island: "Smash that tower, otherwise your whereabouts will continue to be monitored, and the next time you come, it won't be someone as kind as me."

"...Yorktown, please wait here for a moment. I'll go and consult with the commander."

New Jersey frowned, communicated with the other carriers beside him, went ashore, and returned to the camp with Yuudachi and the Purifier.

The temporary camp tents were positioned facing each other, making the situation immediately clear. At this moment, Yukikaze was sitting at the entrance of one of the tents, and Zhou He's location was self-evident. Yuudachi excitedly ran over, wanting to squeeze inside: "Commander, we're back."

"Slower."

Yukikaze stopped Yuudachi directly, giving Purifier a wary look before blocking the tent entrance. Seeing this, New Jersey also gave up on meeting and talking, stopping at the tent entrance and speaking inside: "Commander, the Purifiers want us to destroy the Black Spire directly."

"Then let's destroy it. The Purifier's intelligence is more valuable than what's inside."

As Zhou He sat in the tent, he yawned while talking. When Xi Li entered the tent, she saw Zhou He sitting cross-legged on the ground and sat directly in his lap, leaning back and rubbing her ear and cheek against his neck, which made the still drowsy Zhou He more alert.

The bad news was that Zhou He's big head had lost the energy to control his small head, and both heads were now active. Xi Li's head was covered in questions, and she tried to touch it with her hands. Zhou He, who reacted quickly, turned around and wrapped his arms around Xi Li's waist from under her armpits. With the two of them at zero distance, Xi Li's hands couldn't slip in and she couldn't touch it. She twisted and turned restlessly.

"understood."

New Jersey, unaware of the situation inside the tent, responded to Zhou He's statement and then nodded to Yukikaze: "Keep an eye on the Purifiers and ensure the Commander's safety."

"You don't need to tell me."

Yukikaze, true to her nature of not giving face to anyone, chuckled and glared at the Purifier before quickly leaving, brushing past Nagato, Bismarck, and the others who were disembarking and taking a stroll ashore.

"Ahem, Yuudachi, stop being so awkward. Let me ask the Purifier a few questions."

Zhou He was quite shocked that the projection could even display the Seven Star Fish, but in reality, half of his vision was occupied by the system's warning, and he might fall asleep at any moment. He could only soothe Yuudachi, and Yuudachi became obedient.

Having dealt with the unexpected incident, Zhou He raised his voice slightly: "Purifiers, this isn't the first time we've cooperated. Let's get to the key information. I'll try my best to get them to protect your safety."

"Then I'll tell you."

Hearing the male voice, the Purifier perked up and tried to approach the tent, but was forced back by Xuefeng's sharp, murderous gaze and could only sit obediently three steps away from the tent: "In this test site, we have evolved an experiment with a futuristic style based on the original historical development process, where the ominous signs never appeared."

"Of course, this is not the real future, but the ship girls living here are not just pawns. They have their own consciousness and have always lived in this testing ground."

Purification immediately explained the situation at the test site—they (the experimental agency) believed that the future ANTI-X (Anti-X, the predecessor of the Sirens) should be companions of the ship girls, belonging to the same faction but different agency categories. Therefore, in addition to these ship girls, they also introduced some higher-end Sirens parameters, creating a situation of intensified competition between the two sides.

However, at some point, the Siren core in this testing ground finally awakened its true identity. Although its individual parameters were inferior to even the corpse compared to the original body, it used its own abilities to modify and control this testing ground, and dispatched fleets to attack the ship girl faction here. Now, only a few powerful factions such as the White Eagle are left to resist, and the other factions have been almost completely wiped out.

The Purifier, upon entering, was unable to take control of the testing ground and could only lie in wait beneath the core Siren, awaiting an opportunity.

"Why are you so unlucky?"

After listening, Zhou He didn't feel a strong sense of reality about what was happening in this world, but he was truly amazed by the luck of the Purification Clan; it seemed like she could run into trouble wherever she went.

"After carrying out so many missions, there are bound to be a few times when you're unlucky."

The Purifier remained calm; she had grown accustomed to it. At least she could survive here. After some test sites rioted, they dared not approach them and could only reset them through various means.

"So, which of the Arbitrators is the core of this Siren test site?"

Zhou He didn't complain much and went straight to the point: "You came to us to show that we are capable of handling the problems here, or that you can lead us to evacuate. It's one or the other. If you can't do either, I'll be angry."

"It's Tova, Arbitrator Tova XVI. Her ability is to integrate and manage the data of the test site. In reality, we can't create a corresponding machine at all. We can only imitate her appearance and behavior as much as possible. It's really strange that she has awakened her memories and abilities as an Arbitrator without interference from the main unit."

The Purifier's eyes widened, showing just how surprised she was. However, she quickly calmed down and continued, "But she is ultimately just our creation. Even if she controls the data of the entire test site, she is still not as good as the original. As long as we destroy these black towers that she has expanded, she will lose control of the data in this area, and her strength will drop directly. As long as we destroy a small part of the black towers, your Yukikaze can defeat her."

"She is clearly your creation, yet you want to destroy her. Are you worried that she will connect to the mainframe after leaving this sea area, and punish you for overstepping your authority to conduct simulation experiments without their knowledge?"

Xuefeng chuckled. She was wondering yesterday how there could be an arbitrator here. It turns out these guys were imitating him. No wonder this guy in front of her was acting like a double agent again.

Although the Sirens appear to be an impenetrable fortress from the outside, internal conflicts frequently arise due to the complex permissions of the various host systems. If the same arbitrator has a conflict of permissions, the two sides can usually resolve it with a few words. However, since the experimental agency and the arbitration agency are no longer in the same department, the issue of overstepping authority can become extremely complicated.

"Hahaha, I guess so."

Purification touched her hair and nodded with a smile—in fact, it was more than that. After observing Vato up close, she discovered that the massive amount of data she had accumulated during the experiment had caused a significant difference in thought between her and the Arbitrator's main body outside. If this individual were to connect to the main unit, the data exchange would cause the Vato clone to be unable to withstand the pressure and self-destruct. Furthermore, Vato's main unit would experience short-term chaos due to the massive amount of data from 'living with the ship girls'.

After thinking it over, she decided to destroy it.

“In that case, things are simple. Next, Purifier, you will lead us to find the remaining friendly fleet, destroy these black towers along the way to weaken Arbitrator Vato’s power, and finally destroy it.”

Zhou He relaxed in the tent. The Purifier was indeed the key to breaking the deadlock. He was very tired, but he still had a few questions to ask: "Since you need our help, you should naturally give us a corresponding reward. What do you think, Purifier?"

"Definitely. As long as Vato is destroyed, I can gain control of the testing ground. The data on the ship girls in this testing ground should be of great help to you."

Purification readily agreed. She had already inquired and learned that this testing ground was isolated from the outside world and could only be entered but not left. Therefore, as long as all the people inside who knew about it were eliminated, no one would know what benefits she had given to the Zhou He family. If others asked, she could use "I can't beat them or stop them" as an excuse.

"Only data can be taken out?"

Zhou He was somewhat dissatisfied. He had already missed out on the ship girls from outside the port several times, and now they were going to do it again?