Azur Lane: Isekai'd with Maxed-Out Port

"I really… beat Senior Enterprise?"

At this moment, Essex was still standing on the track, dazed, having taken off her helmet. 

She looked up at the big screen where her name appeared in the champion's slot, and for a moment, she completely forgot to get off her bike.

Just now, she had used that move fueled by pure passion. She had thought she crossed the finish line at the same time as Senior Enterprise.

But realizing she had actually defeated Senior Enterprise, even if only in this motorcycle race, she still felt like she was dreaming.

"Congratulations, Essex. That last move was beautiful. Even I didn't expect you to use such a risky trick to overtake me."

Senior Enterprise had also taken off her windscreen helmet and, after resting her motorcycle on the ground, smiled as she walked over to congratulate Essex.

"Ah… Senior Enterprise, it was just luck. You must have held back…"

Seeing the elegant Senior Enterprise with her long silver hair fluttering standing before her offering congratulations, a blush immediately spread across Essex's face. 

She averted her gaze and whispered softly.

"No, Essex. Enterprise never holds back. This victory is the result of all your hard work."

At that moment, Lin Lan, along with Anchorage and the others, came down from the stands and approached the track.

He happened to overhear the conversation between Enterprise and Essex, and with a smile, said what Enterprise wanted to say, which made Enterprise smile knowingly at him.

No wonder he was the commander who knew everyone best—he could say what she wanted to say for her.

Seeing the commander arrive, Essex's face flickered with a bit of panic as she swung herself off the bike. She was totally unprepared for her own victory.

Besides, she had just noticed the commander's expectant gaze, which made her not give up and use the overtaking move she had practiced countless times in secret.

Even though she wasn't one hundred percent confident it would succeed—she just didn't want to disappoint the commander's expectations, so she impulsively decided to use it.

"Commander…"

Hearing Lin Lan's words of affirmation, Dumpling—with her pale purple twin tails—was blushing so deeply she looked like a ripe apple. 

Anyone who didn't know better might have thought she was the one who lost.

"Essex, sister, you were so cool just now!"

At this time, Anchorage pounced into Essex's arms, holding her tightly.

Maury gave Essex a thumbs-up and chuckled:

"Now's not the time to be modest, Essex. Just enjoy the victory proudly. Sister Enterprise is genuinely happy for you too."

Essex glanced at Enterprise and then at Lin Lan. Seeing the two of them both smiling their congratulations, she blushed, nodded, and then patted Anchorage's head.

"Well, Senior Enterprise… Even though I won this time, there are still many things I need to learn from you. In the future, I will still look up to you as my role model!"

"I'm always ready for your challenge, Essex. It's precisely because of proactive juniors like you that I push myself to improve,"

Enterprise smiled and raised her fist toward Essex. Essex took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and bumped fists with her.

"Everyone, look over here! Three, two…"

At that moment, Gridley's voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

"…one, cheese!"

Click!

With the sound of the camera shutter, including Lin Lan, everyone turned their heads toward Gridley, who was holding up a camera and snapped a photo of the championship name on the big screen as well.

"Hehe~ Perfect angle, Commander! I guess this time I can't be accused of sneaky photography, right?"

Gridley bounced over happily and smiled at Lin Lan.

Lin Lan smiled and patted Gridley's cute little head in praise, appreciating how much Gridley's professionalism had improved compared to before:

"Not bad. Your professional standards have improved significantly—you're finally not a sneaky paparazzi anymore."

Because Gridley's sneaky photos that morning almost made Essex truly unleash her fire-limit removal, this little Eagle reporter had really learned her lesson.

No sneaky shots allowed next to the commander, or she'd end up like the shady little merchant Akashi, unable to stay in the Eagle faction.

After this little episode, Lin Lan boldly proposed to Enterprise and Essex whether he could also get a chance to experience racing on the track.

Watching their high-speed competition during the race had sparked his interest.

Though with his shaky motorcycle skills, he wouldn't dare to drive himself, but with an experienced rider carrying him, it should be fine.

"Hmm… Commander, this request naturally has to be fulfilled by this competition's champion."

Enterprise laughed when she heard Lin Lan's request and looked at Essex with a smile.

"Huh? M-me to take the commander?"

Essex was completely stunned—she hadn't expected Senior Enterprise to entrust her with this opportunity—and she shyly asked in surprise.

Seeing the usually cool-headed Dumpling now almost at a loss for words, Lin Lan teased with a smile:

"That's exactly how it should be. After all, having our champion junior Essex take me is more reliable. So, it's on you."

"Since it's the commander's request… Essex is honored."

Essex looked at Lin Lan's shy smile, and suddenly felt a sting in the corner of her eye.

She couldn't remember how many years ago it was when she first joined the port—her first meeting was with this big guy who wore that shy smile.

Although she had seen this young commander in simulated exercises before, when she officially joined the port, she didn't pay him much attention.

Almost all her energy was put into chasing after Enterprise. Even when the commander assigned her missions, her ultimate goal was always to catch up with Enterprise.

After all, she was the first ship of the new Essex-class carriers of the Eagle faction. But ever since her birth, she had always been overshadowed by the Eagle's war god Senior Enterprise.

Whenever anyone mentioned that era of Eagle carriers, the first person who came to mind was the legendary Pacific Queen Enterprise—not the Essex-class that came later.

This was Essex's greatest obsession and her persistent… mental knot.

She wanted to prove the strength of the Essex-class and proudly surpass Enterprise.

Yet at the same time, she held sincere admiration for the senior shrouded in countless legendary halos, without the slightest hint of jealousy.

When the commander appointed her as secretary ship, she gradually became familiar with this commander who liked to be hands-on with everyone but somehow remained untouchable to them.

She was also very curious—she worked so hard to catch up to Enterprise, but why did this commander work so diligently every day?

Was it just because he liked to be hands-on with everyone in the port equally, without any favoritism?

What an old lecherous commander.

She held onto that thought until one day arrived.

During a carrier exercise in the port, she ended up tied with Enterprise, but then fell into doubt whether Enterprise had held back on purpose to accommodate her.

It was the commander who noticed her negative and tangled mindset and took her out to relax, even calling Enterprise over to explain clearly that no one had held back in the exercise.

Because of that, she discovered that this seemingly lecherous commander actually cared for everyone incredibly meticulously.

Until the day he personally put the engagement ring on her finger, falling into sudden happiness, Essex thought that as long as she could stay by the commander's side, she wouldn't need to prove anything anymore.

They would just support each other and move forward together—that would be enough.

That naive hope gradually changed as the commander's health deteriorated and she could do nothing.

Until one day, the commander disappeared from the port…

Afterward, she broke down in despair and locked herself in her dormitory for days.

If it weren't for the faint sense that the commander was still alive and her hope of finding him, she would have felt like the entire world had turned dark.

At the same time, a thought arose in her heart:

If she could catch up to Senior Enterprise, who remained incredibly strong after the commander's disappearance, would that help her overcome the pain of missing the commander?

So after that, Essex once again set Enterprise as her goal and studied even more persistently than before.

Until a few nights ago, when the unconscious commander was finally brought back.

…

"What are you daydreaming about, Dumpling? Come on! Your motorcycle can fit two, right? Speaking of which, maybe I should have some protective gear, my body isn't as sturdy as yours, hahaha!"

Essex's brief memories were interrupted by Lin Lan, who had walked up to her motorcycle to examine it carefully.

At this moment, Lin Lan was with Anchorage, both curiously inspecting Essex's motorcycle.

To be honest, this perfectly maintained racing motorcycle should have been funded by him.

After all, it had cost him dozens of dollars—equivalent to several hundred of those "red sharp coins"—a huge amount.

No, wait.

Lin Lan shook his head. Enterprise had told him this morning that the motorcycle was borrowed from Jamaica.

But obviously, the blue streamlined bike shell was still modeled after the one he had bought for Essex's outfit back then.

It seemed Essex still couldn't forget the day he bought her that outfit.

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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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