Hikaru shook his head and glanced out the window—the night was still pitch black.
Saratoga's construction time had been three hours and forty minutes, which meant it was now around 3:00 a.m.
His legs were a bit numb, so Hikaru stood up to stretch, and Yat Sen was quick to bring over refreshments.
Saratoga, still bursting with energy, was chatting nonstop with her sister, glancing at Hikaru every few seconds like she was afraid he might vanish if she looked away too long.
Appearance-wise, Saratoga looked nearly identical to Lexington—just a bit younger in her features.
It was all too easy to mistake one for the other.
Like her sister, Saratoga was also dressed in a wedding gown.
Hers wasn't as grand or ornate—just a short white dress, paired with a blue hair accessory on her head, radiating a simple, innocent charm.
Hikaru chuckled and made small talk with the two sisters.
In the corner, Yamato hid by the wall, observing them from the shadows.
She had overheard someone say Saratoga was the strongest carrier in the base.
What a joke.
There wasn't the slightest bit of presence from her.
Honestly, compared to her sister, Saratoga was like an immature child—no contest.
But when Yamato looked over at that lazy freeloader Tirpitz, she began to question reality.
Were all strong shipgirls secretly weak-looking?
No, that couldn't be it. She still remembered how terrifying Tirpitz had looked right after being summoned—that tyrant-like gaze, the sheer pressure—and how she had dragged Yamato out to sea and beat her half to death.
Of course, Yamato conveniently forgot she was the one who had challenged Tirpitz to a fight in the first place.
After a bit of chatting and walking around, Hikaru finally shook off the stiffness from sitting for so long.
What remained was the deep mental fatigue. Summoning consumed not just materials, but energy.
His head throbbed and swam—like he'd been gaming for 48 straight hours. At any moment, he felt like he could faceplant and pass out.
Lexington watched him closely, clearly concerned. "Commander, your complexion looks awful. Maybe you should rest before summoning again."
"No need. I'd rather finish this in one go," Hikaru said, rubbing his face. Then he added, "At least let me summon Prince of Wales."
Being a five-star battleship, Prince of Wales required more than five hours to construct. This was going to be a long haul.
Hikaru figured once she was done, he'd be completely wiped. The next girl, Ranger, would have to wait till tomorrow—or rather, the day after tomorrow.
Lexington saw she couldn't convince him and could only watch as he sat down in front of the final resource crate.
Vampire let out a massive yawn and nudged a half-asleep Glowworm beside her.
"It's time for Big Sis Wales. No sleeping allowed—especially not you!"
"Saratoga's gone now too."
Inside the dreamlike naval base, lights blazed.
No one would sleep tonight.
The first to leave the base was Helena. Her departure scene was identical to Lexington's from before.
Helena had been the elementary school teacher of the base. She was an expert in shelling and anti-air tactics. Even though US light cruisers like her lacked torpedo systems, Helena had an in-depth understanding of torpedo warfare too.
Destroyers and submarines loved to hang out in her dorm, treating it like a team activity lounge.
Especially the US destroyers—they naturally gravitated toward her.
According to reports from the kids, Helena had been telling a bedtime story when she felt the Commander's summoning. Without hesitation, she changed into her swimsuit and vanished from the base.
USS Wadleigh, ever the troublemaker, even clung to Helena's leg trying to go with her.
Of course, she failed.
Still, Helena's summoning was a massive event. The entire base was in an uproar.
Groups of shipgirls gathered and whispered among themselves. At times, their voices escalated into heated arguments.
It was Washington and South Dakota again, arguing over who would be summoned next.
South Dakota was shameless. Even though her debating skills were no match for Washington's, she clung to a single phrase and declared herself the winner.
Washington wasn't about to back down—she immediately pulled out her axe to reason with her.
They ended up chasing each other from the Commander's office all the way to the docks. South Dakota, surprisingly, didn't surrender this time.
After one or two hours of chaos, the base gradually calmed down again.
Knowing now that both naval bases could interact, everyone found new motivation. Under Washington's lead, they started a grand cleanup effort.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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