"You and Maya are both under threat! Iron Blood Shipgirls and their Agents are coming after you and the information you two hold!"
"What is their purpose?"
"This is only a warning. Iron Blood will send their Agents to eavesdrop and gather snippets. Inform Maya about this. You need to be careful not to expose any crucial details and avoid suspicious conversations."
"Shit! I thought I had a break on this one... Right, I'll call her," he muttered, massaging his temple.
Lucas then called JS Maya on the phone. At the Girls' Bath Area, among the shelves of basket clothing, JS Maya's phone rang.
JS Maya was engrossed in friendly talks with the Sakuran Shipgirls, having a fun conversation in the warm bath of the Empire.
Souryuu spoke. "It's quite unusual to see you bathe with us. But I must say, you're quite a different person than the Maya we knew," she said, comparing the two.
Cruiser Maya was still lacking in the chest department, unlike her sisters.
"Yeah... some often compare me to my counterpart. I find it annoying sometimes when things reference our different developments," JS Maya said, uncomfortable with the comparison.
Then suddenly, her phone rang at the shelf where she placed her clothes. The ringtone caught the Sakuran Girls' attention.
"A call? Why now?" she said, getting out of the water, wrapping herself in her towel, and answering the call.
On the phone, Lucas's voice could be heard, sounding frantic. The Sakuran Girls used their main advantage over regular Shipgirls: their animal ears.
Like gossipers, their ears fixated on the phone conversation. Souryuu, the meticulous one, steadied her ears as information passed.
"He sounded genuine with that tone of concern in his voice," Hiryuu said.
Souryuu's brow furrowed as the conversation mentioned Agents coming to eavesdrop on conversations. JS Maya reassured them that topics about technological advancements wouldn't be mentioned.
'How did they know? This plan was sudden and immediately put together. How? How was this plan leaked?' Souryuu asked herself, her mind racing for an answer.
Hiryuu whispered. "The operation is a bust, then?"
Souryuu nodded, droplets of water dripping from the edges of her hair. "Hai, the mission is compromised." Her face then shifted into a relaxed calm. "Let's just enjoy the bath. There's no information we can harvest from her," she said, defeatedly.
Hiryuu let out a sigh. "I guess even in espionage, we can't be two steps ahead of them," she admitted.
"Well, to be fair... this plan was a dumb one."
Back at the changing room, Lucas informed her that Z-23 and Z-1 might barge into her side of the Bath House. JS Maya was careful, covering her mouth closer to the mic as she responded.
"Right, careful then," he said before cutting the communication off.
The Girls looked at her with suspicion. In their minds, the rumors weren't just hearsay but true.
"Umm... why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, wondering why they were looking at her as if a confession had just been dropped.
"I don't know if Atago's information is just a fabrication, but... there's something more to that simple 'Take care'," Cruiser Maya said with a quote.
JS Maya was now in for a ride of questions she didn't expect at the Bath House, the same misunderstanding about her and Lucas's relationship.
"Oh... crap..." she muttered, facing the incoming bombardment.
Bathhouse Receptionist Area
"Gotten Tag. Is the man wearing the Eagle Union Uniform still in the Bathhouse?" Z-23 asked the receptionist, her voice stern.
The Receptionist replied. "Hai. He just entered a few minutes ago... is there anything else you need?"
"Nein. That's all we need," Z-23 said, confirming the Modern Kansen's current location.
Z-1 beside her spoke. "Our Agents were too obvious."
"What do you mean? Our Agents are the best we can gather," Z-23 said, not hinting at what Z-1 was implying.
"If we want to do this, at least we need to make them Sakurans. They stand out like a sore thumb with their distinct Iron Blood features."
Z-23 turned, understanding the concern. "Don't worry, I've asked my peers to send their own to blend in. They were merely backup," she confidently said, as the plan of eavesdropping couldn't be folded.
Unbeknownst to her, the plan was already folded. Arizona and his Team were four steps ahead with their spying capabilities at Iron Blood.
As Z-1 relayed her concern, a Sakuran Spy came in as requested. Z-23 had requested PM Tojo to send aid in espionage.
"Sure, they blend in now," Z-1 said.
Z-23 spoke to brief them. "Alright, it seems everyone is here. I want you all to open your ears for snippets of conversation from the Modern Kansens. We need crucial details about their technology, big or small. The information you gather is still crucial."
"Jawohl/Hai."
The Combined Agents of the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood descended into the Men's Area of the Bath. Lucas found himself surrounded by Agents.
Like nothing had occurred, Lucas maintained a calm posture as he bathed. His mind, though, was screaming at his stupid situation.
'Damn it, Arizona! You should have specified how many Agents would descend upon me!' He glanced to his left and right—yup, he was surrounded.
The only American in an Axis-filled bath, he couldn't 'rush hour' himself there. He was a diplomat in disguise, and a brawl in a bathhouse wasn't anyone's diplomatic business.
Skipper, with his scopes, spoke. "You should have specified how many of them there were. Lucas is like a lone shark in infested waters with sardines," he commented on Lucas's situation.
Arizona regretted not telling him to evacuate the area immediately. He miscalculated the numbers, and now Lucas was surrounded by enemies.
"It is up to you now, Lucas. Don't blow a fight on this one," he muttered to himself.
The Two Royal Maids were looking through their binoculars, dumbfounded at the sight they saw. Lucas was surrounded on both sides by enemies and played it cool like a fool with sake.
"He's surrounded!" Edinburgh exclaimed and quickly closed her eyes in the embarrassing sight.
"He maintained his composure, not bad," Sheffield commented on Lucas's nonchalant face while making 'friends' with the said Agents.
Lucas looked like a damn idiot, blabbering nonsense to the Agents' ears to annoy them. Hidden, but their twitching brows couldn't be hidden as Lucas provoked their sense of humanity with his outlandish stories.
Lucas pulled the most ludicrous stories he could conjure to annoy them further. Chuck Norris, Bugs Bunny, and Batman were the main characters kicking Imperial Japan and the No-No Germans. (Invasion of Mainland Europe not included.)
The greatest mistake a man could ever make is to engage themselves with the nonsensical stories of a Marine, like a bedtime story coated with Crack and MREs. The Agents were done as the remnants of their sanity left their bodies.
They got the information, only brain rots.
[Write your outlandish story here of what Lucas would have told them]
"Hey, where are you going, guys? I'm not done with the story—come on, we're at the good part where Mickey Mouse Fortnite dances on Mussolini," he said as the Agents retreated.
The Agents' faces were filled with annoyance and anger as their leaders were disrespected, and there was nothing they could do. Provoking a fight wouldn't do them any good. Their opponent was a Kansen with an outlandish story. That outlandishness held some truth, and with the tone of where the story was going, the theme went sinister.
At the foliage overlooking the Bathhouse, AZ Team and Arizona held themselves from blowing their cover after hearing that masterpiece of a story. Sheffield was perplexed at the humor and jokes attached to the outlandish story Lucas had crafted.
Edinburgh looked like an inflated balloon as she held her laughter, noises coming out of her sealed mouth like escaping gas. The outlandish story of Lucas bordered on Looney Toons.
The Manjuus buried their heads on the ground as they couldn't hold it off. Arizona suppressed his laughter, which only reduced to a chuckle.
Above the Capital of Sakura Empire
One MQ-28B loitered above, watching over the city below. The video feed and conversation were broadcasted at the Supercarrier's CIC.
Everyone inside, along with Enterprise-80 and the rest of the Royal Navy Shipgirls, watched the Looney Toons story that Lucas told. The story bordered on stupid and insane; only Marines could make such a bedtime story of that scale, leaving everyone laughing.
Hood lost her etiquette as soon as she heard Lucas pull an outlandish story out of his ass. A small chuckle escaped her lips. "My... I didn't expect you were this good of a storyteller, Sir Lucas."
Illustrious, being unusual in front of the others, laughed as she never had laughed louder than before. "My goodness, Sir Lucas. You're such a practical jester."
Wales also couldn't hide her smile as her lips curved upward, her cheeks reddening. "I couldn't agree more," she commented.
Queen Elizabeth lost her sense of title and position as she laughed, her voice echoing inside the CIC in a high-pitched tone.
"HA, HA, HA, HA! That's quite a good one, Sir Lucas. You're quite a practical jester. HA, HA, HA, HA."
Queen Elizabeth laughed as she remembered Lucas mimicking Batman's voice as he told the story. "I'm Batman," then proceeded to throw a batarang in Hermann Goring's face.
Essex-12 whizzed, slamming her fist on the panels. Wheeze "Leave it to Lucas to pull something stupid out of his ass."
Denver-856 couldn't stop laughing. "I can't believe his BS works against the Axis Spies. They can't handle
such BS that they left the chat," she said, laughing on the floor.
Both Enterprise-80, Cruiser Belfast, and Bunker Hill-76 maintained some semblance of normalcy, but their lips curved up.
"Even in a situation like this, he still managed to pull something unexpected," Cruiser Belfast said, amazed at Lucas's improvisation to escape the situation.
"Leave it to him to pull things out of thin air," Bunker Hill-76 said, fixing her glasses, the lenses glinting at the screen.
"And good thing it didn't end up in a fight. Those Agents really knew how to handle themselves from those absurdities," Enterprise-80 admitted, acknowledging the Agents for not instigating a brawl. She wasn't afraid of him standing up for himself; the media fallout was what she feared would take advantage of the chaos and hinder the Peace Talks.
Her attention then shifted to the screen showing the residential district of the Capital Tokyo. Her reconnaissance MQ-28B loitered above the capital beyond the air ceiling of patrolling A6M-Zeroes, circling above Tokyo.
Residential District, Sakura Empire Capital
A black vehicle moved through the crowded streets of the Capital of Sakura Empire. The black silhouette and low profile were to avoid arousing enough suspicion to be considered a valuable target. The simplicity of the vehicle helped them hide in the bustling residential area without giving away its profile.
Inside the vehicle, William and Musashi were seated in the backseat, with the assistant Manjuu in the middle. Shoukaku was in the driver's seat, and next to her was her sister Zuikaku. She was looking out the window, eyeing for any unwanted eyes.
"Looks like no one is suspecting us..." Zuikaku spoke as she looked at the street, windows, and corners of the street.
"Why are we hiding? I thought you guys are in charge of this Faction?" William asked, feeling uncomfortable about the situation.
"Yes, I am in charge. I'm just careful not to attract the eyes of the Militarist Faction in the palace. If they find out I'm talking to you or even with you... the diplomatic talks could break down, and hostilities will ensue," Musashi replied, also looking out the car window for suspicious eyes.
"Okay, I'll keep my profile low then..." William then noticed his assistant Manjuu, seated between them, sweating excessively in fear. "You don't have to sweat like that; we're not going to die."
His assistant Manjuu just nodded, quivering in fear.
Zuikaku used this opportunity to ask about 'Enterprise.' She turned around and looked at the passenger seat. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes. About what?" William replied to the sudden question.
"About your Flagship, 'Enterprise'," Shoukaku said. Musashi's fox ears twitched, her curiosity perking up.
William first thought if he could reveal crucial information about Enterprise. Crucial information about technology was off the table; basic information might be acceptable.
'Maybe I should tell them the basic information, but all that information is a hundred years ahead of this year. Maybe releasing a small bit of information will help persuade for the diplomatic talks.'
William took a deep breath, preparing to speak. "USS Enterprise was the 3rd of the Ford Class
Supercarriers. And the third Carrier to bear the name Enterprise."
Musashi raised a brow at the information of Enterprise being the third generation of Carrier Enterprise. She also surmised that their predecessors might have existed in their world with different designs and
designations but still bearing the honor their predecessors held.
"Supercarrier??" Zuikaku asked in confusion at the term 'Supercarrier.'
"Yes. Just like how the Yamato Class is called a Super Battleship because it exceeds the tonnage of 60,000 tons. And Supercarrier, where Enterprise belongs, exceeds the tonnage of 100,000 tons."
"100,000 tons????!!!!!!" Their voice echoing inside the car.
Musashi flinched after hearing the tonnage. 'She has even more tonnage than Shinano. If the reports and his words are true, that means she's more powerful than Graf Zeppelin and Shinano.'
"The truth is... she's not even the heaviest and longest ship afloat in the ocean back in our world."
"If she's not the longest and heaviest? That means there's a 'monster Battleship' in your world that even exceeds her," Musashi said.
William shook his head and puffed smoke. "The ships I'm mentioning were Cargo Ships, Oil Tankers, and Cruise Ships. Battleships are long extinct in Naval Combat."
Musashi's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by extinct?"
"No one builds Battleships in our world, as Carriers reign supreme in Naval Combat. Supercarrier is the symbol of any Nation's Might. Enterprise is one of those symbols of Might."
Musashi's heart sank after hearing that. A Super Power Nation's Might was at the Empire's doorstep. Her suspicion was correct; the caliber of that Carrier exceeded that of a PR and UR Ship or even the caliber of Arbiter.
She then thought back to the footage of the destruction of the Siren Fleet with ease. 'If those were the Sakuran Shipgirls...' She clenched her fist, imagining the helplessness of the Sakuran Shipgirls facing that titan of the sea.
After a few information dumps, they reached Yamato's Mansion. The mansion was bigger than Nagato's mansion, and there were more guards at the gate. The guards were armed with heavy infantry gear. Two armored cars with bolted turrets armed with light machine guns.
As they all got out of the car, the passing citizens and guards looked at William and his assistant Manjuu.
The two were attracting more attention than they anticipated.
'So much for the low profile... I guess...' He thought, as everyone's eyes were on him.
Then he glanced from left to right and back, noticing some eyes glancing at him. He didn't take long to guess who they were: Iron Blood Spies sent to eavesdrop on him.
"H-How are there more guards here?" Shoukaku mumbled in shock.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Zuikaku added, as the buildup of guards was alarming.
"Seems like something weird is going on inside the mansion than I expected," Musashi commented with a hint of anger in her voice.
"I don't know anything about politics inside the Empire, but the patient inside is waiting... so let's not
make her wait any longer..." William said in a confident voice.
"Hai," Musashi nodded.
They then walked towards the massive gate of Yamato's Mansion, but were stopped by the guards at the gate.
Guard-1 spoke. "Hold it right there. We are not allowed to let any outsiders into the Mansion, Lady Musashi-sama."
"This is my house, and you are not allowed to give me orders," Musashi replied, sensing strange activity inside the mansion.
"Gomen'nasai, Lady Musashi-sama. It's a strict order from the palace... that we do not let any foreign visitors inside the Mansion."
Musashi wasn't having any of this; it looked like she was going to blast the door along with the guards.
William touched his earpiece in his right ear. "Arizona, what is the situation inside Yamato's Mansion?"
"According to one of my Black Hornet Drones, the mansion is full of High Ranking Officials on the 1st floor. On the 2nd floor of the building, there is a Fox-Girl sleeping in her bed chamber. She is surrounded by... Shinto priests???? They are praying and chanting something...? I don't know any of this Shinto ritual."
Before he could cut the communication, Arizona gave him a warning. "Be careful, there are more armed guards inside the mansion... they might arrest you in the act."
"I see... thank you for the information, Buddy..."
Arizona said on the radio. "Glad to help, bud. By the way... I left Edinburgh to watch over you."
William's brows contorted as soon as he heard his life is at the mercy of Edinburgh's quick reaction.
With that done, William chimed in to de-escalate the rising tension at the entrance gate of Yamato's mansion. "Gotten tag, my komarad. Ich bin ein travelling Doktor from Iron Blood. Frau Musashi is looking for a Doktor zu help her Schwester."
He spoke in a German accent to make them believe he was a Doctor from Iron Blood. William's mind: 'Fuck! That was so cringe. I've just murdered German outside Germany by speaking German! In Imperial Japan.'
Guard-1 apologized. "Gomen'nasai, I did not expect an Iron Blood Doctor would help Lady Musashi." He bowed and ordered the rest of the Guards to open the gate.
"I didn't know you could speak Iron Blood language," Musashi praised him.
William mumbled to himself. "Wait until you hear me butcher the Japanese language."
Musashi heard him a bit. "What?"
William responded in shock. "What?"
The Crane Sisters behind them didn't hear him, so they were confused by the two sudden remarks.
"We should avoid them," Musashi remarked.
"Who?" William, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku asked in confusion.
"There are many people inside. We must avoid them at all costs. Come... follow me." They then followed Musashi, circling around the mansion to avoid being seen by the people inside. They entered through the back door of the mansion and slowly made their way to the hallway with careful footsteps.
"Are we really doing this? This is your house. Why not just tell them to get out?" William asked as they walked slowly through the corridor.
"She can't just tell them to leave. They hold the highest positions in the palace, and they are the closest to the Emperor. Lady Musashi might lose her Flagship status if she raises her voice," Shoukaku explained to him.
"Well... I guess politics is politics..." William commented.
"That's enough, Shoukaku," Musashi told them to keep quiet, using her Fox abilities and senses to navigate their way through the hallway without being noticed.
They reached Yamato's Quarters on the second floor of the Mansion. Musashi ordered the three to wait there as she slowly slid the door open. "You three wait here... I'm going to talk with the Head Priest."
William and the Crane Sisters hid in the corner, waiting for Musashi to tell them to go inside. William put out his cigar as he hid alongside the Crane Sisters.
'What is up with the excessive incense smoke?' William asked.
"It's because the Shinto Priests are praying for Lady Yamato's health and speedy recovery," Shoukaku said.
Musashi then entered the room. The head priest noticed her presence. She slid the door closed behind her slowly to avoid making noises that could disrupt the ritual.
The head priest greeted her. "It's good to see you well... Lady Musashi. Looks like you have some guests downstairs?"
"Hai. How is Yamato nee-san...?" Musashi asked in a concerned voice.
"She's still in the same condition as last week," the head priest spoke, trying to hide the grim reality.
"Can you please give us a moment? I just wanted to talk to her, in private."
"As you wish, Lady Musashi. We're almost done with the ritual." The Head Priest then ordered the other priests to pack their stuff as they left the room.
"I hope Lady Yamato's health gets better soon. Because the war against the Sirens will need a strong warrior like her," the Head Priest said.
"Arigato, Head Priest. I hope so too..." Musashi thanked the Head Priest as they all left Yamato's Quarters.
She then signaled the three to come out of their hiding spot and enter the room without making any noises. William and the Crane Sisters entered the quarters. The assistant Manjuu was too scared to even walk, holding tight to William's legs as it shook in fear.
They all headed inside without being noticed by the passing priests. Musashi glanced around the corners to look for any prying eyes. She then closed the sliding doors slowly.
"Jesus fuckin' Christ. You're the one who gives me a thumbs up every time I go into danger. And now you're shaking like a fucking vibrator on my leg," William spoke, looking down at his partner.
"Could you please let go of my leg now...? There are no potential threats in the area." His assistant Manjuu then let go of his leg, stopping its quivering.
"I can't believe you didn't make any noises? I thought all Cargo Ships were easy to detect?" Musashi praised him for being stealthy.
"Yeah. You're even quieter than a Repair Ship we know of," Zuikaku remarked. Shoukaku nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
William was somewhat embarrassed for being praised by younger women. "Well... we always do combat maneuvers in RIMPAC Exercise."
"RIMPAC?" Musashi, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku asked with typical confused faces.
"RIMPAC is the largest Naval Exercise held in the Pacific every four years. Many nations surrounding the Pacific are welcome to join the Exercise. And yes, Japan is also participating in every Exercise."
"Anyways, is she the patient?" William pointed at the sleeping Fox-Girl in a luxurious bed in the middle of the room.
"Hai, that's her." Musashi sat next to her sister lying on the bed, gently touching her cheek.
William then proceeded to examine Yamato's vitals, checking for any signs of symptoms. His assistant Manjuu started checking her heart rate. It took them half an hour to finish.
"Looks like she's quite fine. This is only my speculation... she will wake up within a month, if you keep treating her well."
"Really?" Shoukaku and Zuikaku asked in anticipation.
"Remember, this is only a speculation. But, it's not that bad to have some faith... I guess...?" William reminded them.
"I see..." Musashi spoke in a melancholic tone.
William thought. 'I can't believe she's not a target by the Militarist faction in the palace. Maybe she's not a threat like Nagato?' His deep thinking was cut off by a sudden commotion outside the room.
Then his earpiece went static, and a frantic Maid's voice could be heard. "Im-Imperial Soldiers are storming the Ma-Ma-Mansion."
"...Great..." William muttered under his breath.
The door of Yamato's Quarters suddenly slid open as Imperial Army rushed into the room, pointing their Arisaka type 99 Rifles at William and his assistant Manjuu. Both of them raised their hands in the air. They were surrounded by Imperial Army, their Arisaka Type 99 Rifles pointed at them.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Musashi shouted in annoyance.
"Lady Musashi, calm down. I'm here to ensure that you are not betraying the Empire." A man wearing a Kimono with an Imperial crest spoke, walking into the room slowly.
Shoukaku and Zuikaku unsheathed their Katanas and pointed them at him, their gaze full of fury and distrust at the man.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you... Carrier Division 5..." the man threatened the Crane Sisters, walking towards them. "Lower your weapons. That's an order," he said.
"Shendo? What are you doing here?!" Musashi was about to snap from her anger, but suddenly William spoke. His sudden remark caught everyone's attention in the room.
"Are you guys gonna shoot a Doctor? Because it's illegal under the Geneva Checklist, I mean Convention... Geneva Convention, if you know?" William spoke out of nowhere to get their attention.
"So, you're a Doctor and not a spy, then...?" Shendo asked.
"Do I have to show my PHD and Diploma to prove a point?" William replied.
Shendo spoke. "No. Not really..."
"Well... can you please lower your weapons then...? You're making my assistant sweat like crazy here. I don't want any of the poor servants to have to wipe the mess he's making," William said, glancing at the soaking Manjuu.
They all looked at the Manjuu wearing a nurse cap and raising both of its hands in the air, sweating like a waterfall.
"See?" William pointed at his assistant.
"Lower your weapons! Sorry for the inconvenience, Doctor. We thought you were a spy," Shendo apologized to him.
"It's alright. As long as we understand the misunderstanding. We're good." William forgave him, but the two then made an aura that only Kansens could feel.
"Why do I feel like I'm standing in front of a furnace?" Zuikaku asked her sister, feeling the heat coming from the two.
"I have no idea," Shoukaku said.
Shendo's gaze shifted to Musashi and spoke, "And Lady Musashi, never betray the Empire, or you might suffer the consequences of being a traitor. And you..." he then pointed at William. "If I find out you're not a Doctor-"
"You'll be a snitching bitch to the Emperor and order my head to be cut off," William said without breaking gaze at him.
"Hai." Shendo's forehead draws the line as being called 'snitching bitch' hits a core.
"I will tell the Emperor to have your head." He then left along with the Imperial Army that accompanied him in the room.
As Shendo left Yamato's Quarters, he muttered some Japanese curses that could be heard as he walked through the hallways downstairs.
"Who's that guy?" William asked in irritation.
Musashi replied with a hint of poison in her voice, speaking the man's name. "His name is Shendo. He is the advisor to the Imperial Throne and one of the founders of the Militarist Faction inside the palace. He's also the person who proposed and advocated the use of Siren Tech on Sakura Empire Shipgirls...
Nagato-sempai opposed his plan of integrating Siren Tech into the Shipgirls."
'Well, shit,' he thought.
"Well... he's not even that much of a threat compared to my world. He's more like a nuisance instead of a threat," William spoke, unfazed by the man's threat and his position.
"NANI?!" Shoukaku and Zuikaku were dumbfounded by William's remark.
"What are you saying, Doctor?" Musashi asked.
"He looks like the kind of guy who really wants to get the throne for himself," William said.
"Impossible! His family vowed an oath to protect the Imperial Family at all costs. He would not dare take the Imperial Throne for himself!" Musashi retorted back at his outlandish claim.
"Yes, his family does, but does he?" This left the three dumbfounded and pondering William's question.
"He is currently building connections inside the palace for years now. And by the looks of it... he's not afraid to use them against someone who dares oppose him."
"So, you're telling us he's trying to take over the Empire?" Zuikaku asked.
"Yes. He just showed us minutes ago what he's capable of..." He then looked at Musashi. Her expression was full of sadness and resignation.
"The Empire is at war with Azur Lane, and now the Empire is crumbling inside because some stupid power-hungry man wants to take over the whole Empire. So, what is your plan to not let this Empire that you were born in perish? As a Flagship of the Sakura Empire, it is your decision to lead the war and not some idiot who wears fancy clothes." William paused a bit to look at her and continued.
"I'll take my leave now, Lady Musashi." He then headed out of the room.
"I'll go drive him back to Lady Nagato's Mansion." Shoukaku followed him to the car to drive him back to Nagato's Mansion.
Zuikaku stayed behind at the Mansion. She then walked towards Musashi, trying to comfort her. "The Empire still has a future, Lady Musashi. With you as a Flagship, we will follow you no matter what..."
"Arigato, Zuikaku-san. I just need to stay strong in this crisis that the Empire has stepped into," Musashi regained her confidence.
Kitchen, Nagato's Mansion
Kawakaze was in the Kitchen, watching the house servants prepare a meal for Nagato. She had been tasked with searching the entire Kitchen for any poison. She was tasked by Mikasa to find the poison that was used against Nagato. She was currently undercover to avoid any of the House Servants suspecting her of keeping an eye on them.
'The Kitchen is kinda suspicious,' she thought, surveying the suspicious activities of the house servants.
She waited as the house servants started leaving the Kitchen. One of the servants left the Kitchen to get some groceries, giving her a window of opportunity to search for the poison.
She looked everywhere for the best spot to hide such poison. She almost gave up, but then she saw one of the tea cups that was being prepared. She saw something different mixed in the tea.
'I knew it, it's a poison. But how? How did I not notice it for years?' She quickly left the Kitchen and headed to the living room to inform Nagato and Mikasa about her findings.