Shipgirls and Salted Fish Commander, Port Survival Guide

I just invited Jing Su twice, and both times I stepped right on her sore spots. Although Jing Su immediately said it was no problem, which made me feel better, I really didn't dare to try again. What if I really stepped on a sore spot next time?

No ship girl in the port understands the pain of not knowing how to find topics to talk about better than Northampton.

"Hey Northampton, could I invite you to be my swimming coach?" Seeing Northampton's hesitation, Jing Su decided to step in directly and end the awkward conversation.

"Huh!?" Incredulous, bewildered, and belatedly realizing what Jing Su meant, Northampton looked up abruptly after confirming that he hadn't misheard. He stared at Jing Su in disbelief.

"Well, I can't swim, right? Since I can't swim but want to learn, I need to find a good coach, right? I believe you, Northampton, can definitely be a good coach, so could you please teach me how to swim? I would be very grateful if you could!"

"Yes, of course, no problem, Commander! I... I'll definitely do my best!" Northampton's eyes widened, tears welling up in them. He reacted quickly, diving right into the pool and getting completely soaked. "Commander, come on in, I'll teach you!"

"Ah, oh, come on, come on!" Although it was meant to reassure Northampton, Jing Su was still a little scared when it came to actually getting into the water.

The psychological trauma from years of suffering is not so easy to overcome. In the past, when it was at its worst, Jing Su's heart would race just walking along the riverbank, let alone this pool now. It was two meters deep. If she jumped in, wouldn't she be swallowing a lot of water?

"Speaking of which, this swimming pool has always been used only by ship girls. If someone jumps in and drinks the water, wouldn't that be like drinking the ship girls' bathwater?!"

While hesitating and struggling with her thoughts, Jing Su's mind began to wander uncontrollably.

"Commander, I'm here to help you!" Seeing Jing Su lingering, Northampton had an idea. She transformed into a mermaid, swam quickly to Jing Su's side, and gave a powerful push.

"Eh!?"

"Plop~"

With a loud thud as something heavy fell into the water, Jing Su was pulled into the water by Northampton.

"Wow!!"

Suddenly submerged in water, I was at a loss.

Memories of almost drowning flooded back, and Jing Su began to thrash about uncontrollably.

Jing Su had said before that this place was two meters deep, and if you fell in, you would definitely have a full stomach. Now, he knows he was wrong. It's at least three meters deep here!

It would take him quite a while to sink to the bottom, so it was definitely not two meters deep. However, products from the port area are always of the highest quality, and the water in this swimming pool was too clear, causing Jing Su to misjudge the depth for a moment. In addition, she had been chatting with Northampton for a short time after arriving, and had no time to investigate how deep it actually was.

"Commander~"

In a daze, Jing Su felt herself being embraced by a soft figure, and instinctively hugged her tightly.

"Commander, it's alright, I'm here with you, everything's fine~" a gentle voice came.

"Huff~" He gasped for breath, his heart pounding wildly, but having served as a commander for some time and participated in several battles, his mental fortitude had been honed to some extent. Plus, the thing he was holding felt as stable as if it were on land, so Jing Su quickly calmed down.

"Ahem, um, sorry, just now, you scared me to death~" At this moment, Jing Su realized that she was clinging to Northampton like an octopus. The other person's face was red on one side and white on the other. Although she was a dark-skinned girl, she could feel the throbbing in the other person's heart.

"Ahem, Commander, I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have pulled you down so suddenly, I startled you~" Whether it was shyness or shame, an unnatural blush appeared on the dark-skinned Northampton's face.

Actually, she did it on purpose. As a ship girl, she can move as easily as walking on flat ground if she wants to. So, unless a ship girl forgets her own abilities, she is also very powerful in the water.

So Northampton simply wanted to get Jing Su into the water for a good swim, but it seems he messed it up again.

The incident was so sudden that seeing Jing Su fall so violently terrified her.

"Ahem, is that so? It's alright, it's alright. I was just being a bit... well, let's get started, coach, I want to learn to swim!"

"Ok!"

Chapter 266 An Ominous Premonition

"Come on, Commander, relax. Don't strain your muscles, or you'll fall down~"

A gentle and pleasant voice came through, but Jing Su was in no mood to enjoy it at all. On the contrary, he was extremely nervous.

"Commander, don't worry, I'm here, everything will be alright!" Sensing Jing Su's genuine unease, Northampton felt both helpless and amused. Helpless because Jing Su's past made her feel somewhat sorry for him, and amused because Jing Su looked really cute now.

"Cough cough, phew~ I can't take it anymore~ I'm too tired." After an unknown amount of time, Jing Su said that she really couldn't hold on any longer and suggested that she should rest.

It's a pity that Northampton's time with Jing Su ended so quickly, but since Jing Su has spoken, there's no other good way to deal with it.

Then, Northampton, taking Jing Su's hand, transformed into a graceful mermaid and quickly brought her to the shore.

"Commander, you've made great progress! You can already float on the water!" Northampton said, having thought about it for a long time, as he saw Jing Su panting.

"Cough cough, it's all thanks to Northampton. Without you, I'd probably have sunk to the bottom of the pool." Jing Su coughed twice. She had swallowed a lot of water and choked several times while splashing around. She didn't know if the fish was good or not, but she had certainly drunk enough water from the pool.

"It was all thanks to the Commander's own efforts; I only played a small role," Northampton explained, blushing.

Influenced by Jingsu's Eastern culture, the ship girls in the port area have become more reserved as a whole. Specifically, a considerable number of ship girls use idioms to some extent and have learned some euphemisms in the Eastern style.

Of course, these expressions only apply when they are with Jing Su. When ship girls interact with each other, they are more influenced by the original culture.

Northampton is a ship girl who is not good at speaking, and her outward appearance makes her seem somewhat reserved. When she is with Jing Su, she appears to be quite a soft and gentle girl.

"I've had my fill of this water!" Jing Su clutched her stomach and sighed, realizing that swimming was out of the question; she wouldn't go into the water without someone leading her.

"Hehe, you'll learn to swim after drinking for a while~" Northampton originally wanted to take the opportunity to call out to Jing Su to go swimming again. Having a reasonable excuse to spend time with Jing Su is a rare thing in the port area.

"Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Depth charge!"

Just as Northampton was about to speak up to persuade them, a sharp shout rang out.

"Plop~"

With a loud bang, waves flew up, soaking Jing Su and Northampton to the bone!

"Cough cough cough~"

It has to be said that this "deep-water bomb" came at just the right time. Jing Su was already choking on water and had just been coughing for a while. She had finally recovered and was about to take a breath when the waves hit her and she choked again.

"Commander, are you alright?" Sensing Jing Su's severe choking, Northampton quickly patted her back, his face showing concern, but inwardly he was delighted. What a great wingman! Of course, despite his good intentions, he still had to say something: "Houston, you scared the Commander like that. How many times have I told you not to suddenly jump into the water?"

"Hehehe, Northampton, you're still talking about me, having so much fun with the Commander~ I want to play with the Commander too~" As soon as Northampton finished speaking, a pink-haired girl wearing a bikini swimsuit with stars and stripes popped her head out of the water. Her voice was lively and cheerful, and she was clearly a quirky girl.

"That can't be so sudden, look how badly the Commander is choking!" Northampton glared at Houston. My time alone with the Commander has been ruined by you.

"Hiya~ Northampton, ship number 5, Houston is here~ Commander, come play with me~ I've been waiting for this day for so long~" Houston ignored her sister's angry expression and quickly swam to Jing Su's side. With a powerful leap, she emerged from the water in a graceful motion and sat perfectly next to Jing Su. Then, Houston immediately hugged Jing Su's arm and rubbed against her, "Commander, play with me!~"

"Houston!!" Northampton was genuinely angry now. My date! This is my date! I finally mustered up the courage to spend time with the Commander, and you ruined it! I was here first! You little brat who tricked your sister, you're making me so angry!

"Cough cough, it's nothing, it's nothing, I'm fine~" At this moment, Jing Su also recovered, opened her eyes, looked at the lively girl sitting next to her, blinking her big, bright eyes and looking at her expectantly, and said, "Houston?"

"Hehe, yes, Commander, the Northampton-class heavy cruiser Houston, hull number CA-30, single-handedly took on the entire Sakura Empire reinforcement squad during the Battle of Bandan Bay in the Surabaya Sea and received a Presidential Army Commendation. This is a medal of honor that I am very proud of!" Houston puffed out her chest and proudly expressed her historical achievements.

It's clear that Houston is very proud of what they've accomplished.

'But speaking of which, did she also sink in this naval battle?'

For no apparent reason, Jing Su thought of this, but looking at Houston's proud face, Jing Su felt it was better not to provoke him.

Yeah, right!

I tried to get you to play with depth charges, and you choked me so badly I almost couldn't catch my breath. I felt like I was going to cough my lungs up.

Jing, a vengeful and vengeful man, decides to take on Houston.

"The hull number is CA-30? Shouldn't it be CL?" Jing Su began to recall some trivia about Houston.

Jing Su actually remembered the ship girl Houston. As mentioned before, there weren't many ship girls with patterns on their bodies in the port area, and Houston was one of them. In fact, most of the Northampton-class ship girls had some patterns on their bodies. Houston and Northampton both had patterns on their thighs, one on the left thigh and the other on the right thigh.

Houston's leg was on her right leg, and given her initial revealing outfit, Jing Su had a fairly strong impression of this lively pink-haired girl.

Of course, what truly made Jing Su remember her was that she was a veteran resident of the port area's skinless village, or rather, the Northampton-class cruisers she belonged to didn't have many skins to begin with. Only the eldest sister, Northampton, got a few skins after she changed into the second-generation ship equipment and became the Oregon City-class heavy cruiser.

In terms of seniority, Northampton is definitely a veteran of Azur Lane since its launch. He still hasn't gotten a new outfit. For a while, there were short videos of village chiefs without skins that were popular online. Jing Su would glance at them whenever he was bored. Houston and others were always in them, so he naturally remembered them.

"Eh, CL or CA? Commander, you really like worrying about weird things~" Houston muttered, glancing sideways at Jing Su, then swaying her body, "Commander, don't worry about the details, come play with me! It's been so long since we last met, I've been looking forward to this day for so long~"

"Houston, stop messing around!" Northampton couldn't stand it anymore. I was here first! Don't you even respect me as your older sister? What kind of younger sister steals her older sister's date and husband?!

"Hehe, it seems quite lively here, Commander. May I join in? The night is too short, shall we do some adult things with my sister?" Just as Jing Su was completely bewildered, a serious yet teasing voice rang out, leaving Jing Su stunned. She must have heard correctly. Could this be Duan Hulang's line?

'Oh no, another one!'

Upon hearing this voice, Jing Su was completely bewildered, but Northampton was utterly devastated. If it were just Houston alone, she could handle it, but with the addition of this ship girl, she was completely helpless, especially given this girl's personality, which she absolutely could not manage.

"Hey, Chicago, you're here too!" As the saying goes, every creature has its nemesis, and just like brine curdling tofu, Houston's momentum deflated upon hearing the voice, and the grip on Jing Su loosened considerably.

Jing Su turned her head and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw a mature woman wearing the same swimsuit as Houston, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a double helix hairstyle, a badge on her arm, red gloves, and long and short socks. She had appeared behind them at some point.

"Chicago?" Jing Su asked instinctively.

“Yes, Commander, I’m the fourth ship of the Northampton-class.” Upon hearing Jing Su’s voice, Chicago’s face lit up with joy. She quickly walked up to Jing Su, extended her gloved fingers, and placed them on Jing Su’s chin. With a look of affection, she said, “This little face is really pretty, but your complexion isn’t too good. Hehe, I guess it’s because you’ve been too tired lately.”

"But it's alright, Commander, let your sister heal you with her boundless love~"

After saying that, Chicago straightened her body, her shapely figure swaying with her movements. Combined with her alluring expression, she was incredibly charming.

"Chicago!!" Northampton shouted. Houston interrupted his time alone with the commander, which was one thing, but at least he created a chance for him. But you just grabbed it and took it, huh? I was here first! I was here first!

"Ah, Northampton's here too! Sorry, I was so focused on the Commander that I didn't notice you were here too~ Hehe, I came with Houston~" Chicago said this, but she completely ignored the annoyed Northampton. Between the sisters, who were they? Since the older sister had secured the opportunity to be alone with the Commander, it was hers to enjoy as well!

"You!" Northampton was helpless. He wanted to say something, but when he thought that the other party was his sister and Chicago, he immediately deflated.

To some extent, Northampton really doesn't know how to get along with his sisters. Houston is alright, she's just a bit lively, and you can still keep her in check if she's nagged a bit. But Chicago is a different story. Chicago herself is very easygoing and doesn't seem to care about many things.

Ordinary words had no effect on her at all.

In addition, Northampton couldn't persuade her either, as Chicago has many powerful figures backing her.

Don't underestimate Chicago's overall combat strength. The status of a port is often not determined by its status, but by what it can offer the ship girls.

For example, Akashi, in terms of combat power, is just a repair ship, a purely non-combat vessel. In port, let alone battleships and other main forces, she can't beat most destroyers. The reason she still has a chance of winning is because Akashi is very good at talking. She can confuse many destroyers with her words and thus win.

Although Akashi is not strong in combat, who in the entire port area dares to underestimate her?

With Akashi gone, who can provide spiritual nourishment for the ship girls when they feel empty and lonely?

It's worth noting that over half of the domineering CEO fanfiction and erotic doujinshi in the port area are obtained from Akashi. This alone is enough to establish Akashi's status in the port area. Especially after Jing Su's return, the ship girls' impressions of Jing Su have become more concrete and realistic, making Akashi's status even more important.

Similarly, Chicago's status comes from this. If Exegesis is the supplier, then Chicago is the producer. As a well-known big sister in the port area, Chicago is a super grain producer. Many ship girls rely on Chicago's grain to survive.

Although there are rumors that Chicago created the story, the protagonist is always herself, the ship girl who bought the story doesn't care. How she writes it is her business, and how I think about it is my business. Who doesn't put themselves in the protagonist's shoes when reading a novel?

That's why Northampton can't do anything to Chicago; at most, they can only complain a bit.

“Hehe, Northampton, it’s alright, it’s alright. You’ve spent so much time with the Commander, it’s time for the younger sisters to get a turn. It’s not a good habit to keep everything to yourself~” Chicago reassured Northampton using a code only the sisters understood. However, having stolen her sister’s golden opportunity, Chicago thought for a moment and then said, “How about I make you the protagonist in my next book, sister~”

"Is this a matter of whether I'm the main character or not?" Northampton retorted angrily.

"The commander took the initiative to come to you and want to be with you~"

"Actually, I feel it's not like it's impossible to discuss."

"Contains taboo content~"

"Yeah, I think good things should definitely be shared with the sisters. I get a little nervous when I'm alone with the Commander, but with the sisters around, I feel more confident."

"Is this even possible?" Houston, who witnessed the whole process, was dumbfounded. She never expected that her usually slow-witted older sister would have such a side. Sure enough, the rumor in the group was true. After spending some time with the Commander, the ship girls' personalities would undergo earth-shattering changes.

"Houston sis, you're in too! You decide what game you want to play with the Commander!"

"Long live Chicago sister!"

"?"

Looking at the three sisters making faces at each other, Jing Su suddenly had a bad feeling.

Chapter 267 Get some rest

"Wow, Commander, you have abs! They're nicely shaped. Looks like you've been working out a lot lately!"

"Ahem, um~"

In the dimly lit room, a mature woman was groping a young man in a swimsuit with a smile.

"Oh, this place, these things, you must have gotten them from Bremerton, right? You have good taste. Oh dear, what a pity, I was originally planning to get one for you, Commander, but someone beat me to it."

"Ahem, um~"

"Oh dear, Commander, there's less and less room on you to put things. Hmm? Has no one made a move here?" As she spoke, the mature woman stroked the two small bumps on the young man's chest with her fingers, and said in a charming voice, "Commander, should I claim this spot first? We can make it into a matching set for couples. I have plenty in my room."

"Ahem, yeah."

"Hehe, it's a deal then~ I'll come see you, Commander, tonight~"

"Ah, what? Wait! What I was doing was~" Jing Su's expression changed drastically as she came to her senses. She was about to speak up to stop him when she found that he had already left the room.

Yes, the young man being groped by the mature woman in the room right now is Jing Su, and the person who touched him is Chicago.

As for why he suddenly appeared in the room, it all started with Chicago's deception of him.

At first, Jing Su learned to swim with Northampton. She swallowed a lot of water and got tired, so she sat on the shore to rest. Then she first encountered Houston, who came to play a prank, and then Chicago came over.