Elder brother's garrison

"Huh? No..."

“That’s right.” Ella slowly walked behind Xiaobai and put her hands on Xiaobai’s shoulders. “Once upon a time, there was a person who dreamed of being loved since he was a child, so he wanted to create a perfume that could attract the love of others.”

"Will this make me likable?" Xiaobai couldn't help but wonder.

“He killed countless people and used the fragrant oil extracted from the corpses of a dozen or so beautiful women to create a bottle of perfume.” Ella didn’t answer Xiaobai’s question but continued, “At the same time, he was arrested and put on the gallows because of his crimes.”

"On the day of his execution, he sprinkled a few drops of his own perfume. Then, the executioners, the audience, the passersby, everyone who smelled the perfume on him fell in love with him, submitted to him, and released him. In the end, he won everyone's love."

"However, he discovered that this was not the love he wanted. He wanted love, not this kind of subjugation to desire."

"Finally, he returned to his hometown, burdened with the sins of murder, and in front of his house, he poured all the perfume he had created on himself."

Ella stopped there.

She lowered her head and whispered in Xiaobai's ear.

"Want to know what happened to him in the end?"

Little White was tied up and couldn't see Ella's expression when she turned around.

However, she was also somewhat interested in Ella's story, so she nodded.

"Him," Ella whispered into Xiaobai's ear, "was embraced, kissed, caressed, and begged by people around him who were displaying their mad love, and then, they tore him apart, chewed him up, and ate him alive."

Ella's breath hit Xiaobai's neck, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

Xiao Bai remained silent for a short while.

“…What a tragic ending,” Xiaobai said.

"Yeah, how tragic." Ai stretched out her hand and touched the lip print on Xiaobai's neck, muttering to herself like a mantra, "How tragic..."

"..." Xiaobai leaned to the other side, dodging Ella's fingers.

Ella withdrew her hand.

"Do you know what the Admiral Network is used for?" Ella asked.

Xiaobai shook his head.

There is no mention of the Admiral Network in any textbooks about naval admirals, as if humanity had never developed such a technology.

Link the ship girls and share the same view. This is the only thing the newbie knows.

Even in Brother Xiaobai's books, there's never been anything like this.

"Do you know why ship girls are ship girls? And not ship boys, or even robots?" Ella asked again.

"……do not know."

“Ship girls are empty creatures, and that emptiness is their source, the Abyss,” Ella replied. “If we compare people to circles, humans are solid circles, while ship girls and the Abyss are hollow. The Abyss fills that emptiness with killing, but ship girls cannot. That’s why ship girls are women. Only women can endure this emptiness, and only women can be filled by what the Admiral calls love.”

"like?"

“It’s the Admiral Network,” Ella said slowly. “Most ship girls don’t realize this, and we won’t let them realize it either. The Admiral Network, although it does have many uses and is actually used tactically, was initially used to fill the ship girls with filler.”

"But many admirals don't have an admiral network."

“That’s true. Most ship girls don’t have a strong sense of emptiness; they’re mostly the type who feel lonely occasionally, which is similar to humans. If an ordinary admiral satisfies them with simple, genuine love, it’s fine,” Ella replied. “However… there are always some special cases.”

"What happens to a ship girl who has already gained something called love when she loses that love?" Ella asked. "What happens when a circle that has been stretched out by that love suddenly loses its interior and becomes empty?"

"I don't know..." Xiaobai suddenly didn't dare to look Ella in the eye.

"You know, right?" Ella leaned over Little White, gazing at it with her face close. "Or rather, you already know, don't you?"

“A ship girl who loses love will rapidly deteriorate.” Ella reached out and touched Shiro’s neck. “At first, she will hug.”

"They will get close. Intimate contact."

"Gently sniff the target's body with your nose."

"Then they'll kiss."

"Gently."

"Use force."

"Then……"

"Boom!"

"Saratoga won't hurt me!" Little White headbutted Ella hard on the forehead.

Ella lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Ouch...it hurts so much." Ella looked at Xiaobai helplessly, stood up, and gently rubbed Xiaobai's already red forehead. "Just tell me when you don't want to hear it, and I'll stop."

Looking at Ella's expression, Xiaobai felt a pang of guilt for some reason.

"I'm sorry..." Xiaobai apologized.

"Well, it's alright." Ella smiled. "Although the above examples are quite rare, there are many ship girls who stop at more intimate gestures."

“But what if?” Ella asked softly. “You can never be sure about instincts, can you?”

"..." Xiaobai fell silent.

"You might not be the only one suffering then. After all, if the ship girls find out afterward that they hurt the admiral, it's not impossible for them to lose their rationality and become like the Deep Sea." Ella pulled out the small bottle from behind her back.

In the dim light, Ella revealed a mysterious smile.

"So...why not try to become a real admiral?" She opened the small bottle and used two slender fingers to pick out the capsule.

"To become the true world number one?"

Chapter 60: For men, this must be a joyous reunion.

The island of Corola is brightly lit at night.

The island has few tall buildings, mostly rural-style bungalows. The market is squeezed between these bungalows like a flowing stream, and the lights are still burning bright yellow at night.

The bustling market was filled with the cacophony of vendors' calls, and the surrounding residents seemed to have long been accustomed to the noise, with no one coming out to protest.

The tourists were so engrossed in the lively atmosphere that no one noticed a figure swiftly moving across the brick and tile eaves of the bungalow.

Saratoga carefully sensed the atmosphere around her.

Ship girls can sense each other.

Like two radio transmitters, they can communicate with each other on the open sea.

However, the surrounding environment is currently extremely chaotic. Not to mention the overwhelming crowds, since it is under the jurisdiction of the naval base, one can occasionally sense the presence of ship girls in the crowds. All of this interferes with Saratoga's search for Richelieu's presence.

Saratoga was not a calm person.

She glanced angrily at the crowd below.

Let's just release the carrier-based aircraft and scare them all away.

This thought had crossed her mind more than once.

However, she rejected it herself.

This behavior is no different from his previous attempt to blow up the island; both will only provoke pointless hostility.

Saratoga sighed, her face darkening.

Ultimately, it's because I know too little about this island. If only there were someone I could ask.

Saratoga then looked down at the people beneath her feet.

If you ask them where on this island is a good place to hide kidnapped hostages, would they know the answer?

— Probably not, I might even be seen as mentally unstable.

Saratoga stood on the rooftop and glanced at the garrison on the distant island of Corola a few times.

The naval base on Corola Island is very close to the city center, and it is so magnificent that it looks more like a museum than a naval base.

This is close to the limit.

Saratoga closed her eyes and vaguely sensed for a short while.

There are too many distractions, making it difficult to discern the specific scent.

Xiao Bai might very well be in that garrison.

Saratoga is very strong and can hold her own against ten ship girls, but that doesn't mean she can easily enter and exit other naval bases. One of the disadvantages of carrier equipment compared to battleship equipment is its poor survivability. It can even malfunction when it is moderately damaged. If it is accidentally hit by a battleship girl's shell in a chaotic dogfight, even Saratoga will not fare well.

Why don't we just go up and blow it up?

The thought crossed Saratoga's mind, but she suppressed it.

No matter what, kidnapping an admiral is a serious crime. Unless Ella is completely out of her mind, she wouldn't bring Xiaobai back to the naval base and leave behind physical and witness evidence.

Saratoga thought about it and then left.

"Where could I find someone who knows more about the dark side of this island?" Saratoga wondered, looking at the crowds on the street.

……

Oh, I think so.

Saratoga's heart skipped a beat.

If someone knows about this kind of thing, then they're definitely that kind of person.

Saratoga pulled a map out of his clothes and quickly searched for it.

"……it's here."

Saratoga retrieved the map and ran quickly in one direction.

……

A man covered in bandages lay on the bed.

He stared blankly at the ceiling.

All of the man's ribs were broken, and both of his legs had been broken. When he was found in the detention cell, he was clearly breathing much less.

pain.

Men are indeed not afraid of death, but that doesn't mean they aren't afraid of pain.

Even after being given anesthesia, the man's body continued to tremble.

Those who operate in this industry mostly value ruthlessness; whoever is the most ruthless is the boss.

So when a man encounters someone even more ruthless, he naturally backs down.

He wasn't stupid; when the woman in black cornered him and beat him up, he already understood everything.

He knew perfectly well who he had offended.

...I regret it so much.

He looked out the window.

If he hadn't provoked that little girl, he'd probably be out there smoking, drinking, and having a good time right now...

Now, I'm not even talking about whether I'll end up in jail or not.

Whether I can even stand up and walk out is a question...

Just then, suddenly, a blonde girl jumped up from outside the window with a snap.

The girl stared blankly at him with her icy blue eyes.

It seemed as if they were trying to see their own face through the gauze covering their bodies.

The man stared wide-eyed as if he'd seen a ghost.

This is... the eighth floor!

After a while, the girl seemed to have confirmed her goal.

She reached out, swiped her hand through the windowpane, and clicked open the lock on the inside of the window.

The man tried to open his mouth wide, but his shattered jaw could no longer support him, and his body riddled with fractures prevented him from moving an inch.

"Ah...ah...ah..."

He could only make a sound like a mosquito.

Men used to be fearless.