Elder brother's garrison

The quiet courtyard became lively again—or rather, began to descend into chaos.

"Oh no! Sister Hood has fainted again!"

"Hood, hang in there!"

"Hood, you have to hold on, Hood—"

"Hu-de!!"

"Quickly, Hood has heatstroke! Get him to a resting place!"

"Sister Hood's room, how many rooms were there again!"

……

The ship girls caught Hood as she fell to the ground, and then, amidst a commotion of chickens and dogs running around, a group of ship girls hurriedly carried the terrified Hood to a shady spot at the back of the yard.

Xiaobai stared in disbelief as Hood was carried away.

"Admiral..." Washington looked at the dumbfounded Shiro with a sigh, "We're used to your habit of never returning empty-handed when you go out, but we never expected that you would take down this new ship girl so quickly this time..."

"Huh? Make a move?"

"Admiral, marrying a ship girl is a major life event for you. While we can't easily dissuade you, at least... it's best to get to know each other better and confirm your feelings before making a decision..." Akagi cupped her face, looking at Shiro with a puzzled expression. "Admiral, look, Hood has fainted from fright again..."

"Uh..." Xiaobai was sweating profusely. "No...it's not like that...uh, it's my fault for not explaining things clearly from the beginning, please let me explain..."

Xiao Bai quickly tugged at Missouri's arm and looked at her eagerly.

Missouri was given this critical mission. She looked around, then bowed to Akagi, Bismarck, and the other flagship ship girls, and explained.

“Akagi-senpai, Washington-senpai, it’s Missouri’s fault for not explaining immediately.” Missouri said to the ship girls, “The ship name of the senior on Missouri’s shoulder… is Ryujo. In terms of nature, she is the same as Yamato-senpai in the naval base.”

The group is currently at Ella's old house. Even though the surrounding ship girls have crowded the yard to the point of being impenetrable, who knows if there are ears on the other side of the wall? Even a novice like Xiaobai can't just say that Deepsea Ryujo is the Dean of Deepsea.

Even in Missouri, they could only hint at the identity of the Deep Sea Dragon in a relatively straightforward way.

"Same as Yamato?"

The ship girls in front of Xiaobai were all stunned.

The ship girls carefully observed the Deep Sea Dragon, who was perched on Xiaobai's shoulder.

“The same as Yamato means that she is…” Bismarck opened her mouth.

Snapped.

Akagi swiftly raised her hand and covered Bismarck's mouth.

"Missouri, do you mean that Ryujo isn't an ordinary ship girl?" Akagi communicated with Missouri through her eyes.

“Exactly.” Missouri replied to Akagi with her eyes.

"..." Akagi and Bismarck, whose mouths were covered, silently shifted their gazes to the pale skin of the Deep Sea Ryujo, and a hint of understanding flashed in their eyes.

Although the Deep Sea Dean and the ship girls look very similar, there are actually many small details that make them different.

Aside from the incredibly rich aura of the deep sea emanating from its entire body, and its beast-like deep-sea ship equipment, characteristics such as its excessively pale skin and thick, flowing black blood are all basic traits of the Deep Sea Dean.

However, compared to the deep-sea aura that any ship girl can sense with just a glance, the other characteristics of the Deep Sea Dean are often subconsciously ignored by the ship girls.

At this moment, when Missouri mentioned the identity of Abyssal Ryujo, the ship girls finally realized that the ship girl Ryujo on Missouri's shoulder was not actually a ship girl, but the Dean of Abyssal Ryujo.

“…No wonder.” Akagi breathed a huge sigh of relief. She patted her chest gently and gave an apologetic smile. “I finally know why you gave this… um… Ryujo sister the ring, Shiro.”

The most prominent deep-sea symbol on the Deep Sea Dragon's body, namely its deep-sea aura, has been completely shielded and is no longer detectable. The reason for shielding this deep-sea aura is self-evident; it is, of course, the result of the Newbie Town Guard's highest-tech achievement—the Deep Sea Aura Shielding Ring, also known as the Newbie Wedding Ring.

No wonder Xiaobai's ring ended up on her hand...

The ship girls looked at the ring on Deepsea Ryujo's hand with relief, their gazes softening, before asking a question with some lingering concern.

"This ring probably doesn't have... the kind of meaning we imagine, right?" the ship girls asked Xiaobai worriedly.

"No, no, no, no!" Xiaobai quickly waved her hands. "Look, I only put the ring on her index finger, not her ring finger!"

I heard what Xiaobai said.

The ship girls were finally relieved.

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved—Admiral, you almost scared me to death too," Akagi said to Shiro with a wry smile.

"...Uh." Xiaobai glanced awkwardly in the direction Hood had left. "Well, I...I'll explain it to Hood again later..."

It must have been tough for Hood.

Xiao Bai recalled how, before giving Changchun the ring, she had mentioned it to Hu De at home. Hu De had praised her with a look of joy and approval, gently touching her head and smiling as she told her that she was starting to understand things.

Suddenly, Xiaobai felt a pang of guilt.

When I explain this to Hood later, I must first sincerely apologize for not having had a chance to make things clear...

“Since this was just a misunderstanding, it’s not a big problem. We just need to explain it to Hood properly later.” Akagi put her hands together. “Based on past experience, Hood will probably wake up around afternoon tea time. You can go find her then, Shiro.”

"Okay, sure." Xiaobai nodded.

"Let's get down to business now." Akagi beckoned to Shiro with her finger, gesturing for Shiro to come closer.

"What important matter is it?" Xiaobai asked curiously as he walked up to Chicheng.

Chicheng pursed her lips, lowered her head, and whispered in Xiaobai's ear.

"Didn't we talk to you about what happened at sea on the phone before, Xiaobai?" Akagi's low voice reached Xiaobai's ears.

"Yes, I did say that."

“Yamato is currently in meditation because she acted without permission on the sea. As for where she is meditating… since this isn’t the naval base, to reduce the chance of any unexpected situations, I’ve temporarily put her in your room, Shiro.” Akagi put down her hand, straightened up, and smiled at Shiro. “When you have some free time, remember to visit her in her room.”

"Oh...oh!" Xiaobai nodded quickly.

"Well... I'll take the other carrier sisters back to their rooms to rest first. Shiro, you must still have a lot of things to take care of, right?" Akagi said, smiling at Shiro and waving to the carrier girls behind her. "Shiro, good luck."

Done.

Akagi then led her aircraft carrier ship girls into the dormitory building.

The number of ship girls in the courtyard suddenly decreased by half, making it seem a bit empty.

Xiaobai does have quite a few other things to do, such as obliging to greet the other top ten naval commanders that he has returned, and then opening the door with them to continue discussing the tactical plan for protecting the city.

Most of the ship girls at the newbie naval base knew this, and after Akagi left, they simply greeted Shiro and didn't waste any more of her time, then flocked into the dormitory building in groups.

After the courtyard finally began to empty out.

Xiao Bai, Missouri, and the others saw a slender and graceful figure at the entrance of the dormitory building's first-floor lobby.

A ship girl who didn't belong to the newbie naval base was cowering next to a thumb, looking rather furtively at Xiaobai.

Of course, perhaps this ship girl herself didn't intend to hide her presence. When the number of ship girls in the courtyard decreased and the view became clearer, Xiaobai and the ship girls behind her clearly noticed this ship girl who was spying on them.

Xiaobai's gaze even met that of the ship girl for a fleeting moment.

Then Xiaobai was stunned.

Xiaobai recognizes this ship girl.

It was Nagato, one of the ship girls from the Nansei Naval Base whom he and Missouri had rescued from the Deep Sea Ryujo at sea.

After Shiro and the other ship girls noticed her presence, Nagato looked around in a bit of a panic. However, she quickly calmed down, coughed softly twice, and walked out from behind the pillar. She ran up to Shiro and bowed deeply to Shiro and the ship girls behind her.

"Admiral of the newbie naval base, ship girl warriors of the newbie naval base, greetings!" Nagato bowed deeply to Shiro and the others at a ninety-degree angle, then earnestly patted her chest, her eyes fixed on Shiro, "I am one of the ship girls from the Nanxing Naval Base that your esteemed naval warriors rescued from the sea yesterday. My name is..."

"Ah, I remember you, you're Nagato, right?" Shiro nodded to Nagato. "You've already met with Admiral Nansei, haven't you? Has everyone returned safely?"

"Yes, they've all returned safely!"

Nagato quickly shifted her reserved gaze to Shiro.

"Oh, that's great. Admiral Nanxing can finally put his mind at ease." Shiro gave Nagato a gentle smile.

Faced with Shiro's gentle smile, Nagato blinked first, then a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"Um... excuse me," Nagato began.

"what happened?"

"...Excuse me, are you the admiral of the rookie naval base?"

“Yes.” Xiaobai nodded.

"...Your Excellency...have you seen my file?" Nagato patted his chest, looking at Shiro with some doubt. "This should be our first meeting..."

Nagato stopped there and didn't continue.

Shiro and Nagato stared at each other for a few seconds.

Then Xiaobai suddenly froze.

“…Ah.” Xiaobai covered her mouth.

Yes.

When he met Nagato and the others at sea, he was still in his disguise in Missouri.

It seems like Nagato has never truly seen herself!

Oops!

The deception is starting to slip up!

Xiao Bai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"I...uh, I...I've seen you before!" Xiaobai nodded hurriedly, swallowing awkwardly. "Well, I...I have seen your data card...You're Nagato, right...Nice to meet you. My ship girls have also told me about you...Hello."

"Oh... I see..." Nagato looked at Shiro's explanation and suddenly understood. She bowed to Shiro again, "It's a pleasure to meet you! Thank you very much for your help!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome..." Xiaobai waved his hand.

Nagato straightened up, her gaze sweeping eagerly over Xiaobai's back before turning away with a hint of disappointment.

"Um... excuse me..." Nagato stretched out her hand, gesturing somewhat absentmindedly to Shiro, "Excuse me, where did that ship girl warrior who saved us on the sea before, with black hair, snow-white cheeks, a petite yet voluptuous figure, who seemed a bit shy and pitiful, but could actually fire those beep beep beep-beep laser cannons and was incredibly powerful, go?"

“…Uh.” Xiaobai.

Nagato seems to have a vivid memory of Shiro's performance that night.

He even remembers her appearance quite clearly.

Xiao Bai's forehead immediately started to sweat.

"Is this Miss Patina?" Missouri asked Nagato.

“Exactly!” Nagato’s eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. “Well… because our naval base received a great deal of kindness from you that night, especially Miss Patina, who went to great lengths to save us. So I really wanted to thank you formally in person, and especially thank her in person…”

Nagato spoke with utmost seriousness.

But don't know why.

At this moment, Nagato's eyes seemed to hold a dangerous emotion, like tiny heart-shaped flowers blooming.

“I see… Missouri will relay Nagato-senpai’s thoughts to Miss Patina word for word,” Missouri said with a smile to Nagato.

“Huh? What does that mean…” Nagato was taken aback.

“Miss Patina was quite exhausted from the battle that day and couldn’t continue participating in this mission, so she said goodbye to us halfway and returned to the naval base to recuperate,” Missouri said to Nagato.

Chapter 1517 Kind-hearted Little White

"Did she go back?" Nagato blinked, staring blankly at Missouri.

“I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.” Missouri gave Nagato an apologetic look. “The battle that night… was just too intense, and it took a lot of toll on Ms. Patina’s ship equipment.”

"Ah... I see..."

Nagato was stunned for a moment. She first murmured something in a daze, and when her somewhat unfocused gaze turned to Xiaobai, she suddenly came back to her senses. Then, as if she had thought of something, her eyes quickly became serious.

When Xiaobai saw Nagato's serious expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took a step back.

Oops!

Did she see through Missouri's lies and realize that she was Miss Patina?

Xiao Bai felt a chill run down his spine.

Missouri's disguise was indeed perfect, but even the most perfect disguise is still just a disguise, and it will inevitably reveal some flaws.

For example, at least in terms of general height and build, and even facial features, there is not much difference between myself and my disguised self.

At this moment, "Miss Patina" in the ship girl team disappeared, and was replaced by a "girl admiral" of similar height and temperament. Such a coincidental personnel change could easily make some people with a slightly quick mind think about it and feel a chill.