Azur Lane Mobile Front

"I really can't tell you that. I can only say that it's not Nagato anymore."

"Well then, Ms. Mikasa, this is getting interesting. Tell me, is the problem with Akagi, or with the flagship behind Akagi, the Sakura Empire?" Robo immediately realized that it was very likely that Akagi wasn't truly in charge of the Sakura Empire. There were hidden figures behind Akagi.

"Commander, what do you mean by that?"

“Although I haven’t met Akagi in person, my company has had quite a bit of dealing with her. She often mentions ‘that person.’ So, is the ‘that person’ she’s talking about your Sakura Empire’s current flagship?”

"I really can't say, I'm sorry, Commander." Mikasa shook her head, not giving Rob the answer. It seemed this was one of her bottom lines.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. Let's talk about Akagi's problem." If he weren't without his glasses, Rob would probably be striking a pose like Commander Ikari right now. He felt he had finally touched on the real problems within Sakura Empire.

"Is Chicheng currently using the emperor to command the feudal lords, or is she 'acting on imperial orders'?"

Mikasa fell into a long silence; after all, these were things that were not easy to talk about with outsiders.

"Is this question important?"

"Ms. Mikasa, this question is certainly important. After all, we need to know who the enemy really is, don't we?"

"I really don't know the answer to that question. Almost no one in Sakura Empire has ever seen the new flagship, so we have no way of knowing her attitude."

Rob stroked his chin, feeling a sense of déjà vu about this game. For example, a certain Daoist Master Zhu used to play it this way.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. Let's talk about something practical: the reward for this operation." Seeing that he couldn't get any more useful information out of them, Rob stopped trying to extract information and prepared to give them the real answer.

"Reward? So, you've agreed to help!" Zuikaku, who hadn't spoken since entering, immediately became excited, completely oblivious to the fact that she had stolen Mikasa's words.

"That's right, we'll take the job, provided you can afford the pay. After all, I really dislike Akagi for causing trouble on our doorstep. Also, I happened to be there when she attacked Pearl Harbor. I'm a bit petty, you know."

While talking to Mikasa and the others, Robo glanced at a timed battle that popped up from the system.

[The host has triggered the limited-time battle - Sudden Storm.]

"What about the reward?"

[Super Supply Crate *1, Premium Account 15 Days]

"It's alright, it'll do."

Rob, who was secretly earning two jobs, kept a close eye on the Sakura Empire ship opposite him, carefully considering how much profit he could squeeze out of them.

"Oh dear, I don't have much money left, Ruihe. How much savings do you have?"

"I've kept all my money with Shoukaku-nee." Zuikaku scratched his head, indicating that he was currently penniless.

“Ms. Mikasa, I must remind you, I don’t do this kind of thing without a price.” Rob quickly said, if it’s difficult to do without money, then let’s just not do it.

"Don't worry, buddy, the reward will definitely be generous." Mikasa waved his hand and laughed heartily.

“That’s right. Although I don’t have any money right now, as long as we rescue Sister Xianghe, you can name your price!” Zuikaku quickly assured Rob that the reward was definitely not a problem.

At this moment, Yi Xian leaned close to Luo Bo's ear and whispered a few words. After listening, Luo Bo nodded in understanding.

"Well then, Ms. Mikasa, since we don't know what Akagi has been researching in the Mirror Sea, let's just do it by piece." Robo wore a standard businessman's smile. The Sakura Empire ships in front of him looked like two big fat sheep. If his plan succeeded, he would definitely make a fortune.

Piece rate?

“That’s right! For each replicated ship, if we sink it, we’ll give you two million in supplies. If Akagi and Kaga take action themselves, we’ll handle that and give you twenty million in supplies. As for other unknown enemies, we can calculate the details later. What do you think of this plan, Ms. Mikasa?”

After hearing this, Mikasa discussed it with Zuikaku and figured that 20 million was enough to get someone to settle things with Akagi and Kaga, which was a very reasonable price.

"Brother, you're really doing business with a conscience." Mikasa smiled and said, "It's a deal."

After all, mass-produced replica ships can be produced by ourselves! According to Zuikaku, she can take down one of those things within three moves, so it won't cost much at all.

Rob was secretly overjoyed. With the efficiency of Enterprise and Yatsen, he'd be willing to admit defeat if they even managed to get him to encounter a single cloned ship. Who knows how many of these mass-produced things there were? If all else fails, they could just stall for time and wait for monsters to spawn. They'd be screwed over then.

"Now that the price is agreed upon, let's discuss the specifics of the Mirror Sea. Ms. Zuikaku, could you please tell us in detail what you encountered there?"

"No problem!" With her wish fulfilled, Ruihe felt much more energetic and quickly recounted her previous experience in detail.

"Hmm, a large number of mass-produced replica ships, and the unknown large target that Ms. Shoukaku encountered. By the way, did you need a key to get into that place?" This was the first time Rob had heard that you needed a key to get in, since Fushun certainly didn't have a key back then.

"Actually, the most crucial thing was the storm on the outside. If it hadn't caused me and Shoukaku to get separated, Shoukaku wouldn't have been caught by them." Zuikaku finally pointed out what she thought was the key point.

"Regarding that storm, their radar is different from yours, so they shouldn't be affected. If we're careful, we shouldn't get separated. Besides, I've prepared a backup plan."

"Huh? Why would you prepare a backup plan?" Ruihe suddenly felt strange. It was already unusual for you to be prepared, but to have a backup plan? She had a bad feeling.

"We discovered that 'sanctuary' you mentioned a long time ago. Even if you hadn't come, we would have solved this problem sooner or later."

Rob's words struck Ruihe's heart like a bolt from the blue. According to him, even if she didn't come to ask for help or offer any money, he would still come to help her.

"Hey bro, that's a bit unfair of you." Mikasa realized what was going on. These days, the younger generation is increasingly lacking in respect for elders and care for the young, and they've even managed to screw him over.

"There's no other way, we need to make a living!"

Chapter Nine: From New Jersey to Donghuang

Once the operational objectives are determined, the next step is naturally to prepare for combat.

While Robo's current fighting strength is more than enough to deal with Akagi and Kaga, this time is different from before; they're going to charge into the enemy's high ground, so playing it safe is always a good idea.

After all, some players can lose even when they're facing a dragon charging in, so Robo doesn't want to risk getting himself killed in one fell swoop.

Of course, some people don't think that way, like Zuikaku, Zuikaku, and Zuikaku again.

Seeing that Zuikaku was practically jumping up and down, Rob could only say to her, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."

Naturally, after Rob said that, Ruihe looked even more anxious. If she didn't still need his help, she probably would have already taken action.

A phone call interrupted Rob's preparations.

"Hey, Rob, I'm here! I'm here to help you!"

There was no need to ask who was on the other end; among all the people Rob knew, only New Jersey had such a simple and honest voice.

"I think the normal procedure should be that you notify me before boarding the plane, and then I pick you up." Rob subtly implied, "You silly goose, why do you only tell me you've arrived when you get there?"

"Then there's no surprise at all!"

The New Jersey man on the other end spoke with an air of self-righteousness, completely oblivious to the fact that he felt he had done nothing wrong.

"Okay, okay, you stay in the airport and don't move around. I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Rob began to feel sorry for Miss Ticonderoga. Working with that thing must be exhausting.

"Company, could you please take me to the airport?"

The preparations were almost complete. Seeing that Ruihe was in a hurry and worried that if too much time passed, New Jersey might cause some trouble, so Rob decided to use the fastest method to bring her back.

So what's the fastest way?

Let's ride a Gundam!

Like traditional ships, the enterprise can also summon the machine body directly for normal use, just like a ship.

If there's any downside, it's that the cockpit is quite cramped.

Without further ado, the company nodded, took Rob, and flew away.

While New Jersey was still looking around the airport with a look of novelty because she had never been to Donghuang before, a huge robot descended from the sky and landed in front of her after only a few minutes.

The immense wind pressure during the plane's descent nearly blew her away, and the swirling dust blinded her. Even so, New Jersey kept her eyes glued to the descending Freedom.

Since the battle with Sakura Empire ended in AF, Enterprise hasn't released any more mobile suits. After all, Rob isn't familiar with that area, and with so many people around, anything could happen.

New Jersey, who had only witnessed the company's costume change up close once, repeatedly expressed her dissatisfaction, begging Robb and Enterprise to let her see them again. She even clung to Robb, only to be subdued by Ticonderoga in time, saving the two from further trouble. After all, Miss Black Dragon's energy was extraordinary.

Finally, Rob and the company fled AF as if they were escaping. New Jersey was thus temporarily abandoned as well.

However, now, the invincible Miss Black Dragon has seized another opportunity.

The slowly descending aircraft came to a stop in a kneeling position. The cockpit door, located in the torso, slowly opened, and Rob poked his head out.

"Get on, we're in a hurry."

Then, watching this simpleton's eyes light up, she jumped onto the cockpit in a few steps and immediately pounced on Rob. This time, she wasn't wearing her usual clothes; she was dressed in a light-colored summer outfit and wearing sunglasses, looking like she was going on a trip.

Although the battleship in front of him was a bit clumsy, its figure and appearance were top-notch. With such a beauty right in his face, if you asked Robo whether he could handle it, the answer would definitely be no.

But Rob immediately felt strange eyes staring at his back, which startled him so much that he quickly pulled New Jersey away.

"There's such a big spot right next to me, are you really going to shove it right in my face?"

New Jersey paid no heed to Rob's accusations; her mind was now entirely focused on the Gundam's cockpit. Everything there was new and exciting to her, and she carefully observed every detail, occasionally letting out a sound of admiration.

The already small cockpit was crammed with three people, leaving them with almost no room to move. However, this also greatly suppressed New Jersey's attempts to get physical.

After the Gundam took off, the completely different experience from flying in an airplane excited her even more. She kept urging Enterprise to do somersaults in the air so she could experience the feeling of aerial maneuvering. Enterprise, of course, ignored her with a cold face.

Fortunately, the three returned to T Port in no time, and Rob quickly dragged New Jersey down. Enterprise also cooperated by immediately storing the machine away.

"Huh? Let me take another look~"

"Alright, alright, we have important business to attend to." Interrupting New Jersey's attempt to renege on his promise, Rob dragged New Jersey into the command room.

Everyone in the command room turned to look at the door as it opened. Then they saw Rob walk in with New Jersey.

Then New Jersey saw Zuikaku and Mikasa, and his eyes immediately sharpened.

"Robo, what's going on? Why are there Sakura Empire ships in your port?"

"Don't worry, I haven't defected. These two are Mikasa and Zuikaku from the Sakura Empire, so you could say they're my clients this time."

Upon hearing Rob's introduction, New Jersey greeted Mikasa. It seemed that this senior had a considerable reputation throughout the ship, and even those on the opposing side held her in high regard.

After settling her into a chair, Rob began explaining the operation to New Jersey. Although Miss Black Dragon trusted Rob, her gaze towards the two from Sakura Empire remained tinged with suspicion.

"Rob, are you sure they're not lying to you?"

"It doesn't matter. Whether they're there or not, I still have to deal with that place. In fact, it's better to have them; I can earn an extra fee." Luo Bo shrugged and said nonchalantly.

Then Zuikaku's defenses were breached in a second.

"Huh? Service fee, Rob, are you short of money?"

“Take a look at my port, and then think about whether I need it or not.”

"Haha~ Your port is indeed quite simple, huh~" New Jersey scratched his head, realizing that Rob was indeed short of money.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get ready to go." Since everything was prepared, and there were only a few people involved in this operation, Rob decided to leave early and finish as soon as possible.

Everyone nodded and headed straight out to the beach.

Chapter Ten: The Crimson-Stained Door-Breaker

Around the mirror-like sea, in the storm zone, everyone looked at the clearly man-made storm and sighed in amazement. No matter how many times they saw it, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread about the Sirens' ability to harness the power of nature for their own use.

"Alright, Ms. Mikasa, Ms. Zuikaku, please put away your ship equipment and come aboard. Enterprise and Yatsen won't get separated, but I can't guarantee that about you two." Rob then nodded to Enterprise and Yatsen, who were still on the ship, signaling them to proceed according to plan.

According to Zuikaku, there is also an unidentified large target in this storm, and Shoukaku may have been taken away by this large target.

Therefore, a certain level of vigilance is necessary. While staying on one ship eliminates the risk of getting separated, it also means that the reaction time will be slower should the enemy attack.

"Alright, New Jersey, now it's your time to shine. The direction is yours to choose, so go for it!"

"No problem! Direction 110, full speed ahead!" Although she didn't know why the other party had handed over command to her, Miss Black Dragon didn't care at all and confidently began to indicate the direction of travel.

Outside the window, the gale-force winds whipped giant waves onto the ship's deck. Even though this was the largest and most storm-resistant ship Rob could find, it still seemed utterly powerless in the face of this storm.

The ship struggled forward against the immense force of the sea. On the pitch-black surface, only the ship's lights provided a sliver of illumination.

Looking out the window, Rob felt deeply uneasy. Although Enterprise and Yat-sen now had enough power to ensure his safety, the insignificance of humanity in the face of natural disasters still made him unconsciously afraid.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems!" As if she could see through Rob's thoughts, New Jersey put her arm around Rob's shoulder, her face still bearing that lively and confident smile.

Somehow, seeing that憨憨 (simple and honest) face, Rob gradually stopped being afraid; now all he wanted to do was laugh. It has to be said, New Jersey really has a knack for infecting others.

"Even if there are any problems, I brought my own ship!" New Jersey patted his chest to show that even if something goes wrong, he could protect her.

Rob, who had just relaxed, immediately looked horrified. Was this guy really going to do whatever he wanted?

"Oh no, what if Iowa or something comes knocking on my door in a few days?" Rob thought to himself. New Jersey really does always bring him "surprises".

"No, your ship equipment isn't finished yet, is it?"

"Hey, only the main gun is still under development. Everything else is fine!"

While Rob and New Jersey were still interacting, Zuikaku was leaning against the window, looking out with a worried expression.

Of course, being a ship, she wasn't afraid of the scenery outside the window; rather, she was thinking of her older sister, still trapped in the Mirror Sea. So much time had passed; she wondered what Akagi would do to her.

"Shokaku-nee~" she couldn't help but whisper her sister's name.

Seeing this, Mikasa walked over, patted Zuikaku on the shoulder, and gave him a reassuring look, indicating that he shouldn't worry and that everything would be alright.

And so, with the support of the company and Yi Xian, and with New Jersey directing the way, everyone marched toward their goal amidst the storm.