"Saratoga, there are dozens of people coming from the north. They say they're an envoy from the Shipgirl Headquarters, with some military personnel mixed in," Saratoga turned to Bismarck. "Do you want us to block them?"
She and Ranger had been the first to replenish their carrier aircraft. Since they fought mainly from the rear and their main bodies hadn't suffered much damage, they were already fully repaired.
Bismarck thought for a moment. "Let them come."
Her own condition wasn't great. She was still moderately damaged, and it would take several more hours for full repairs.
After a pause, she summoned her rigging. From behind one of her turrets, she pulled out three green steel trays, each about the size of two palms.
Shipgirls' riggings had some storage space. For example, beneath Tirpitz's chair was a stash of manga, while Bismarck's rigging was stuffed with dolls, game consoles, and all sorts of odds and ends.
Bismarck handed one tray each to Prince of Wales and Helena.
Inside were a wrench and screws, but both the tray and the tools gave off a faint, glowing mist, not quite like physical objects.
Yamato tilted her head curiously. "Bismarck, what is that you just pulled out?"
"Quick Repair Tools," Bismarck replied coolly. "They can instantly complete rigging repairs. My Admiral entrusted them to me before I departed."
"T-this…" Yamato's eyes went wide. "This is far too unbelievable!"
Instant repairs meant the equivalent of having an extra life. On the battlefield, even if a shipgirl was heavily damaged, she could retreat, use one of these, and come back at full strength in no time.
But then again, Hikaru had once produced things like the 'Equipment Development Blueprint' and the 'Battleship Construction Blueprint.' So Yamato's shock was tinged with acceptance.
It was the kind of feeling: Ah, if such things really exist, then only Hikaru could possibly have them.
Of course, Yamato had no idea about the Elite Damage Control Fairy, which was not only a free extra life but also came with an absolute defense shield. If she did, even if it was Hikaru, her worldview would shatter on the spot.
Bismarck caught the envy and jealousy written across Yamato's face but said nothing.
The Quick Repair Tools were indeed powerful, but Hikaru only had three left, and he had given them all to Bismarck for her use.
The ones they'd had before had long since been consumed in the Commander's countless sorties in search of them. These three were the last stock in the entire base.
There was no need to tell Yamato that. As both a soldier and a secretary ship, keeping her Commander's strength concealed was only natural.
Helena toyed with the Quick Repair Tool in her hands, a nostalgic look in her eyes. "Makes me miss Yukikaze a little. That little one loved to run around with a bucket on her head, praying for everyone's safety."
Because of their appearance, the Quick Construction Tools were nicknamed "fire extinguishers," while the Quick Repair Tools were simply called "buckets." When a shipgirl was moderately or heavily damaged, they would joke about "eating another bucket."
Prince of Wales didn't use hers right away either. She sat cross-legged on the sea surface, setting the tool aside, and asked curiously, "I thought you disliked all J-class shipgirls, Helena?"
Helena gave a soft smile. "How could I? Yukikaze is so cute. And besides, she even changed her name to Dan Yang after joining the C-class."
Historically, Yukikaze had been a J-class destroyer. After Japan's defeat, she was handed over to China as war reparations, renamed Dan Yang, and even served as flagship of the navy for a time.
In the base as well, Yukikaze's remodel had turned her into a C-class ship—just like how the S-class destroyer Reshitelny, after remodeling, became the C-class guided destroyer Changchun.
"Don't buy into that," Saratoga cut in with a knowing look. "Aside from the J-class, everyone probably likes Yukikaze — but let's be real, she's a total jinx. Her teammates sink, and she always walks away untouched."
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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