But Hikaru didn't seem particularly moved.
"Let's talk later," he said with little interest. "My base may very well be able to defeat the enemy on our own."
A month ago, Yamato would've thought he was delusional.
But after witnessing that earth-shattering battle in the South Seas, no matter how arrogant or outrageous Hikaru sounded now, Yamato had no choice but to take him seriously.
She glanced at Tirpitz, who was napping at the table, and Bismarck, who sat upright with proper posture. Even if Bismarck was just as powerful as Tirpitz, was that really enough to face a massive Abyssal army?
Could it be… that Hikaru had another ace up his sleeve?
Yamato was just about to probe further when her chopsticks tapped against the empty porcelain dish with a crisp clink.
The sashimi platter, once beautifully arranged like a blooming flower, was completely gone—she'd eaten it all without even realizing.
"Heh heh…" Yamato let out a sheepish laugh and asked tentatively, "Can I have more?"
"Why not?" Hikaru waved his hand. "Yat Sen, slice up three more plates of sashimi."
Yat Sen answered crisply, then called California into the kitchen to help catch fish.
Sashimi wasn't just about cutting up fresh fish on the spot—the best flavor came during the peak of "maturation."
This "maturation" was essentially a controlled fermentation process. Fish meat came in red and white varieties, and when freshly killed, the meat was the firmest. While that might sound fresh, the umami was actually lacking.
True umami came from amino acids, and it was the interaction between oxygen and microbes during fermentation that produced them.
That's why the fish had to be killed right after being caught—to retain the most oxygen—then left to mature. The duration varied: tuna usually matured for three weeks, salmon for about one and a half to two weeks.
As a top-tier chef, Yat Sen naturally pursued culinary perfection. And as a shipgirl, she could use supernatural powers to accelerate the process. That's why the kitchen didn't stockpile fresh fish—they only matured select ones naturally.
The sashimi Yamato had just eaten came from such a specially prepared fish.
Now, to host Yamato properly, they needed California to go out and catch fresh fish.
California might not be particularly strong in combat, but catching a couple of fish? Easy. She snatched a slice of sashimi from Yat Sen's side, giggled, and dashed out of the kitchen.
Sneaking a bite—mission accomplished. Happy.
At that moment, Lexington arrived at the dining hall.
Hikaru stood to greet her, quickly briefed her on the key points of the negotiation, then turned to Yamato with a polite farewell and left.
He knew his limits—when it came to negotiations, he couldn't hold a candle to Lexington.
Bismarck stood up. "Commander, where are you going?"
"I'm going to summon a new companion," Hikaru replied after a pause. "Do you want to come?"
No matter how delicious Yat Sen's cooking was, it couldn't compare to the emotional pull of reuniting with a new comrade. In a surprising turn, everyone except Lexington and Yamato decided to follow Hikaru to the construction room.
Yamato grew restless. "Maybe we should go too."
She glanced at the kitchen. "Hmm… we can bring the food with us."
Lexington was at a loss—she hadn't realized Yamato was such a glutton.
She and Yat Sen had spent years together. Her own cooking wasn't bad either. If Yamato really wanted to eat well, she could do so every single day.
That's why she couldn't understand Yamato's deep emotional reaction. For Yamato, it was like a person born blind suddenly seeing light—utterly life-changing.
"We don't need to rush," Lexington said with a soft smile. "The construction won't be over quickly. Why don't we first draft a framework for the cooperation agreement? We can have the Commander review it afterward."
Despite her composed appearance, Lexington was just as nervous inside. Her thoughts were still with Hikaru.
Sitting down at the table, she suddenly realized she'd made a foolish mistake.
If Saratoga came by and casually asked a few people, she'd find out that Lexington hadn't helped at all—Hikaru had simply announced he could summon her.
And that would blow Lexington's lie wide open.
What should she do? Ask the others to lie with her?
Covering up one lie by piling on more… that would inevitably explode one day.
But if she didn't… Lexington was terrified of losing her sister.
Sigh—being an older sister was hard.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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