When the expected kiss didn't happen and she heard Illustrious's words, Atago immediately snapped her eyes open. Seeing Illustrious's playful expression, she instantly grew angry. A ship-slaying great sword materialized in her hand as she slashed toward Illustrious. "Who was expecting you to kiss me? How shameless!"
Seeing that Illustrious didn't actually kiss Atago, Essex was furious and frustrated with her. What was Illustrious doing! To let such a good opportunity slip through her fingers!
Essex stopped covering Saratoga and Vicious's eyes. Since Illustrious and Atago weren't actually kissing, tsk! Watching for nothing made her expectations go to waste.
Once Essex stopped blocking them, Saratoga and Vicious immediately looked toward Illustrious and Atago, only to see Atago swinging her sword at Illustrious.
Saratoga was completely bewildered. "Did they kiss or not? And why is Atago trying to slash Illustrious!"
Vicious looked at Essex, since only Essex had seen the whole thing. "Why are they fighting?"
"Because Illustrious didn't actually intend to kiss Atago; she was just playing a joke on her," Essex answered honestly.
"Ah! I even took my pants off, and they didn't even kiss? What the hell are they doing!" Vicious said, looking annoyed.
Saratoga cheered for the Captain, fearing the world wasn't chaotic enough. "Well slashed, Captain! This Cow Monster dares to toy with the Captain's maidenly heart; she deserves to die ten thousand deaths!"
Watching Atago's ship-slaying great sword coming at her, Illustrious was quick of hand and eye, catching the blade between the fingers of her right hand. "Alright! Stop fooling around. Let's talk business. Why did you call me over? What do you want to say?"
"Who's the one fooling around?" Atago's face turned serious. "Illustrious, why are you following us? What is your goal?"
Illustrious said solemnly, "I'm following you because from the first moment I saw you, I realized I've fallen in love with you. Every second you're away from me, I feel lost. I know you might not believe me since it's so sudden, but my love for you is sincere. I want you to be my girlfriend so we can be together every moment."
"Oh? Is that so?" Atago said coldly.
"You're so cold! You don't believe a word I'm saying," Illustrious said with a look of sadness.
Seeing Illustrious's sad appearance, Atago remained indifferent and cold. "Only a ghost would believe you! You were just mocking me a moment ago. If I fall for it again, I'd be a real idiot."
Illustrious began talking nonsense with a straight face. "I didn't expect you to see through it. Fine! I'll tell you my true goal. My true goal is that I'm bored and have nothing to do right now. It looks like you're about to do something big, so I want to get involved and carry out the mission with you."
"I am a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl. With my help, you can complete your mission more easily. I don't want any money. Don't you want a free fighter?"
Bored with nothing to do! Atago felt this reason was the correct one. Regarding Illustrious becoming a fighter for their mission, Atago was tempted.
The fact that a Five-Star Calamity Abyssal Entity attacked them today showed that the Free Iris mission was not that simple. If another Five-Star Calamity Abyssal Entity popped up during the mission, it would be troublesome. Having a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl like Illustrious around would indeed make things much safer.
"Truly no money? You'll be a fighter for us for free?" Atago confirmed once more.
"Of course! I'm a woman of my word!" Illustrious nodded.
"Good! Welcome to the team for this mission!" Atago agreed.
Seeing Atago finally agree to let her follow, Illustrious was filled with joy, though she felt a bit sad inside. She hadn't expected Atago to disbelieve the truth but believe the lie. Did she look like such a playboy? Otherwise, why wouldn't Atago believe her?
Seeing Illustrious join them as a companion for the mission, Saratoga and the others immediately came over to greet her.
"It's great to have Illustrious doing this mission with us." Vicious lunged forward and hugged Illustrious's slender waist.
"Vicious, could you not hug so tightly!" Illustrious said, feeling a bit of pain from the squeeze.
"Sorry! Sorry! I just got a bit too excited." Vicious loosened her grip slightly but continued to hug her. She wanted to absorb Illustrious's energy; otherwise, she felt she couldn't survive.
Saratoga put on the air of a senior. "Ahem! Newcomer, don't worry! Now that you've joined us, I'll protect you. Just stay obediently behind us."
Illustrious was speechless. She really had the nerve to say that! A mere Five-Star Epic Ship Girl protecting her, a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl? Heh! It was unclear who would be protecting whom! However, for the sake of getting along with everyone and not worrying Atago, she endured Saratoga's rudeness. "Then I'll have to trouble Senior to look after me!"
"No problem, no problem! But as a newcomer, if you want my care, there's a price to pay." Saratoga gave Illustrious a deep look. "I heard there's a 'Happiness Pizza' shop in Paris, the capital of Free Iris, that released a Deluxe Orleans Chicken Pizza! You understand, right?"
Illustrious immediately understood Saratoga's meaning. "Understood! It'll be my treat then; eat to your heart's content."
Hearing how well Illustrious handled things, Saratoga was about to reach out and pat Illustrious's shoulder in praise, but remembering the height difference, she changed it to patting Illustrious's stomach. "Yay! Great! You're a real pal. Don't worry, I've got your back from now on. If anyone bullies you, just tell me, and I'll stand up for you."
"What? Saratoga gets to eat Deluxe Orleans Chicken Pizza for free? So lucky! Illustrious, can I come along too?" Vicious looked at Illustrious expectantly, waiting for her answer.
Illustrious said very generously, "No problem! Everyone can go together when the time comes. After we're done eating, I'll pay the bill!"
"Illustrious is treating me, her senior! Why are you trying to butt in!" Saratoga pointed at Vicious, looking dissatisfied.
"What'senior'? Illustrious is much stronger than you. She just doesn't want to bother with you. Don't actually think you're something special! Besides, Illustrious has already agreed. What right do you have to object?" Vicious let go of Illustrious, faced Saratoga with her hands on her hips, and lifted her chin slightly as she spoke.
"Daring to speak to me like that? Looks like you're asking for a beating." Saratoga immediately pounced on Vicious, grabbed her hair, and pulled hard.
"A fight it is then! I've been sick of you for a long time. Today, I'll definitely teach you a lesson!" Vicious also grabbed Saratoga's hair and started pulling relentlessly.
"That hurts! Vicious, you bastard! Let go of my hair!"
"No way. Today, I'm going to properly teach you a lesson, show you why flowers are so red."
Saratoga and Vicious fought like street thugs, using every method available: hair-pulling, clothes-ripping, biting—they used it all.
"That's enough!" Essex, unable to watch any longer, grabbed Saratoga and Vicious, pulled them to her side, and bowed to Illustrious. "I'm truly sorry, Senior! It's embarrassing. They're just too unruly."
"It's fine! I don't mind!" Illustrious said with a smile.
"Such remarkable magnanimity! With you joining us, our mission is sure to be completed perfectly." Atago extended her hand, wanting to shake Illustrious's.
Illustrious immediately grasped Atago's hand and smiled. "You're too kind. As a newcomer, I'll be relying on your guidance. Speaking of which, what exactly is the mission?"
Seeing that Illustrious was now one of them, Atago no longer held back. "The mission we're setting out to execute this time is to help Princess Fiona of the Free Iris become Empress!"
Illustrious recalled the intelligence on Princess Fiona. "Princess Fiona... I know of her. She's the First Princess of the Free Iris Kingdom. I heard she's currently wanted by the Free Iris King for assassinating the previous king."
Atago shook her head. "No! According to the real intelligence investigated by the Atlantic Military Police Intelligence Bureau, the king wasn't killed by Princess Fiona. The one who truly killed the king was the Deep Sea Cult's Sixth Saint, Eugen."
"Everyone in the world knows Eugen. She is the Deep Sea Cult's diplomat, handling all diplomatic affairs related to the cult. She is also the only known Saint of the Deep Sea Cult; information on the other six Saints is unknown."
"What is Saint Eugen's strength level?" Illustrious was more concerned about this. If Eugen's strength was also that of a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl, then she could have a good, satisfying fight with her.
Now a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl, Illustrious was one of the world's peak powerhouses. Only a handful could fight her on equal footing, so she was quite eager for a battle with a strong opponent.
"It's unclear! Because Eugen possesses a ship device that can alter the color of her Ship Qi, no one can know her true strength." Atago shook her head. "But she's at least a Legendary Ship Girl. Otherwise, how could she become a Deep Sea Cult Saint? Every Saint must be a Legendary Ship Girl to qualify."
Illustrious found it interesting. "A ship device that changes Ship Qi color? If she changes her Ship Qi color to purple, and a Three-Star Legendary Ship Girl fighting her sees it, they'd think she's just a mere Five-Star Epic Ship Girl. They'd attack Eugen, but when the real fight starts, Eugen would use her true strength, and the Three-Star Legendary Ship Girl would be in for a tragedy. Heh! She really knows how to play the pig to eat the tiger!"
"Then how dare you go to the Free Iris? Aren't you afraid that Eugen might be a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl?" Illustrious asked, puzzled.
"Because the strongest Ship Girl Eugen has killed was a Four-Star Legendary Ship Girl, I believe Eugen is, at most, a Four-Star Legendary Ship Girl." Atago said seriously.
"What if you're wrong? What if she's a Five-Star Legendary Ship Girl?" Illustrious raised a possibility.
"We run! I have a one-time-use Thousand-Mile Teleportation Pearl ship device. Once activated, it can teleport us a thousand miles away. If we really want to run, she can't stop us." Atago stated matter-of-factly.
"It seems you're already fully prepared." Illustrious said with a faint smile.
And so! After reaching an agreement with Atago, Illustrious followed Atago and boarded Essex's main body ship, arriving together at the capital of the Free Iris.
Arriving at the harbor intending to disembark in Paris, they naturally couldn't avoid a series of inspections by the Free Iris Paris Customs. Their striking appearances as Ship Girls were immediately noticed, prompting thorough checks to ensure no oversight.
As the Free Iris had now joined the Deep Sea Cult, countries that joined the cult did not allow Ship Girls belonging to Admirals to enter their territory.
Once Paris Customs discovered a Ship Girl, they would require her to present a Free Ship Girl Certificate before allowing entry into the capital. This certificate was issued by the Ship Girl Association and carried authoritative certification.
The Paris Customs staff asked Illustrious to present her Free Ship Girl Certificate. Illustrious was still a Free Ship Girl, so she very naturally handed over her document.
Upon seeing that Illustrious was a Free Ship Girl, the Paris Customs staff immediately let her through. After checking Illustrious, it was Atago and the others' turn to undergo inspection.
Atago and the others were from the Atlantic Military Police, so they had ways to obtain fake Free Ship Girl Certificates. Thus, they also passed through customs smoothly.
...
In the grand hall of the Free Iris Paris Royal Palace, a short-haired, purple-haired young man wearing a crown sat upon the throne. Four young and beautiful women surrounded him, attending to his needs.
This purple-haired youth was the current King of the Free Iris, King Hiddell.
On the left was a purple-haired, buxom beauty. She held a plate of grapes in her left hand and fed King Hiddell a grape with her right.
On the right was a blue-haired, flat-chested little loli. The little loli peeled a banana and handed it to King Hiddell.
Seeing the banana offered by the little loli, King Hiddell stopped eating grapes and switched to the banana.
Two black-haired beauties with average-sized breasts sat on King Hiddell's left and right legs. They nestled against his chest, and King Hiddell occasionally used his hands to stroke their beautiful legs.
"Hahaha! This life surrounded by beauties is truly wonderful. I can't believe that I, who was in the slums three years ago, could have such a blissful life today."
King Hiddell was not actually born in the palace but in the slums. His mother was a fruit stall owner in the slums. When he was five, his mother was beaten to death for not paying protection money to local thugs, leaving him alone in the world.
To survive, his daily life consisted of collecting scrap, shining shoes for people on the streets, and acting as a guide for travelers. Although the money he earned wasn't much, it was enough to get by.
But this life only lasted for a year before it ended because a group of Thieves arrived in the slums. This Thief gang took root there. These Thieves did all sorts of things normally, one of which was collecting so-called protection money from the slum dwellers.
If you had money but refused to pay, they would beat you up. Paying the protection fee made the slum dwellers even poorer.
Originally having just enough to survive, after paying the protection money, Hiddell had no money left to live on. As days passed, with no money, he grew emaciated from hunger and was ultimately forced to become a Thief out of desperation.
His life as a Thief lasted for ten years. Just when he thought he would be a Thief for life, he never expected to be summoned by the King one day to a luxurious hotel.
The King was an old man with white hair and a beard. Upon seeing Hiddell for the first time, the King said to him, "You are my son."
Hiddell looked incredulous. "Could there be a mistake? How could I possibly be your son? My mother was just a fruit stall owner."
The King said unhurriedly, "Back then, your mother saved me by the riverside when I had run away from home to escape an arranged marriage."
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