The joint patrols between the Royal Navy and Eagle Union had been going better than anyone expected. No major blow-ups, a couple of shared Siren takedowns, even some casual radio banter between destroyers. It was enough to pique interest from the East.
One foggy morning, the lookouts raised the alert: sleek ships slicing through the mist, red sun banners catching the first light.
She is seen wearing an elaborate traditional Japanese attire, a red and white miko (priestess) kimono. Her attire is open at the shoulders and chest, giving a sensual yet elegant impression. Her most iconic features are her reddish-brown fox ears and nine large, fluffy fox tails. She holds a traditional folding fan.
She has long, dark brown or black hair and piercing red eyes. Her expression is calm or slightly mysterious. Overall, her appearance exudes an elegant, mystical, and slightly seductive aura. Her design is inspired by the World War II Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier of the same name, combining military elements with the mythological fantasy of nine-tailed foxes (kitsune).
Beside her stands a girl. She has short white hair, a pair of fox ears atop her head, and striking blue eyes accentuated by red eye makeup (similar to her sister). As a symbol of her heritage, she possesses six thick white fox tails. Her primary attire is a modified miko-style attire, consisting of:
A blue and white turtleneck top with open red trim.
A navy miniskirt.
A black sash with a yellow flower symbol wrapped around her midriff.
A large white overcoat with blue trim on the sleeves. She wears white thigh-high stockings tied with black ribbons, metallic red sandals, black bracelets on her wrists, and a black choker necklace. On her right side, a large battle rig resembles an aircraft carrier's flight deck, reflecting her identity as an aircraft carrier.
Akagi and Kaga are sisters who lead the Sakura Empire. Akagi and Kaga at the lead, their aircraft forming lazy patrols overhead.
Behind them are four other shipgirls.
She wears a modified miko (shrine maiden) outfit, colored white and red, with traditional Japanese accents such as an obi and ribbons. This attire reflects her origins as a shipgirl of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She has long, silver or light gray hair tied back in a ponytail, with bangs framing her soft, serene face. Her eyes are purple or red. Her trademark is a large red ribbon in her hair. She also wears hair ornaments, such as flower hairpins, and long white gloves.
As a warship, she has rigging for cranes and modified flight deck elements that emerge from her back or around her like mechanical wings, with a sleek and futuristic design that maintains a Japanese aesthetic. Her expression is calm, dignified, and slightly melancholic. Her posture is elegant and refined, reflecting her polite and graceful personality.
Beside her stands another shipgirl. She wears a uniform-style outfit, combining red, white, and black, reflecting the colors of the Japanese flag and the in-game Sakura Empire. Her outfit includes a short skirt or shorts and a tight-fitting top. She has long white or silver hair tied in a ponytail. She has red eyes. Her trademark hair accessory resembles an airplane wing or part of an aircraft carrier, and she also has a crane-inspired tail. She is equipped with large rigging that physically represents parts of a real aircraft carrier, including the flight deck and artillery. This rigging is predominantly metallic gray and white.
Her appearance exudes an aura of confidence, pride, and chivalry, befitting her personality as one of the flagship carriers of the Fifth Carrier Division.
Behind the two shipgirls are two other shipgirls. They have long, bluish-purple hair that appears slightly messy or disheveled. She has distinctive red eyes, giving her a mysterious and serious impression. Her primary attire is a modified Japanese-style military uniform, dark black with red and gold accents. She wears a short black dress.
A red ribbon is visible in her hair and at the neckline of her outfit. She wears long gloves and black knee- or thigh-high socks. As a warship, she has large combat equipment attached to it, resembling the impressive armament of a futuristic destroyer.
with another shipgirl next to her She is a young girl with short, wavy white hair and blue eyes. She wears Japanese-style clothing, resembling a miko (shrine maiden) uniform, with a dominant color scheme of red, white, and navy blue. Her outfit features details such as a large ribbon, a sailor collar, and fur accents. She has animal ears and a tail resembling a fox or squirrel (like a kitsune or tanuki in Japanese mythology), indicating her species as the Sakura Empire (the Japanese empire in the Azur Lane universe). She carries a sword (katana) as her weapon. Her rigging is usually depicted as a destroyer attached to her body and floating nearby, often with unique elements that fit her animal or mythological theme.
Shoukaku, a carrier maiden of the Sakura Empire faction, represents the Shoukaku-class aircraft carriers of Azur Lane. She is known as the "Dancing Aircraft Carrier."
Zuikaku, a carrier maiden of the Sakura Empire faction, is part of the Shoukaku-class.
Ayanami, a destroyer maiden of the Sakura Empire faction, is part of the Fubuki-class, known as the "Demon" for her speed and deadly torpedo attacks.
and Yukikaze, a premium destroyer maiden of the Empire of Japan faction, is known as the "Lucky Ship" for her outstanding performance and arrogant yet friendly personality. She is a Kagerō-class destroyer, known for her endurance and expertise in reducing fleet damage, as well as possessing skills that help her survive and benefit the rear.
Shoukaku and Zuikaku close behind, with Ayanami and Yukikaze screening the flanks. No aggressive moves—just a steady cruise into neutral waters.
Up on the observation deck, Simon leaned against the railing, Stay Gold munching on an apple beside him. "Those are the Sakura Empire girls, right? The ones with the animal features?"
Simon nodded. "Yeah. They're here because of us—or at least, the rumors about us." 'and it seems with full and thorough' preparation he continued in his mind
Enterprise stood a few feet away, arms crossed, staring out. "They're cautious. Don't blame them."
Down on the pier, Queen Elizabeth waited with Belfast and Hood, her small frame straight as a mast. The radio crackled.
["This is Akagi of the Sakura Empire. We've heard whispers of… unusual alliances forming in these waters. We'd like to see for ourselves. Permission to dock?"]
Queen Elizabeth grabbed the handset. ["Granted. Pier three. And keep it civil—we're all on the same side against the Sirens, after all."]
The Sakura ships eased in smoothly, tying off with practiced efficiency. Akagi stepped onto the dock first, her red outfit flowing like silk, tails swishing lightly. Kaga followed, more reserved, her expression neutral. Shoukaku and Zuikaku hung back a bit, whispering to each other, while Ayanami scanned the base curiously.
Queen Elizabeth strode forward, hands on hips. "Welcome. I'm Queen Elizabeth—leader here. This is Belfast, Hood. And over there…" She gestured up. "Our new friends, Simon and Stay Gold, plus Enterprise from Eagle Union."
Akagi's eyes flicked to Enterprise, narrowing just a fraction before she smiled politely. "Enterprise. It's been a while."
Enterprise nodded back, voice even. "Akagi. Didn't expect to see you this far west."
'in the anime story, the two of them often fought and became rivals at sea' thought Simon while watching the interaction between the two ship girls
The group moved to the pavilion, the air a little thicker now. Tea was set out—British on one half, green tea and rice crackers on the other. Everyone sat, the Sakura girls on one side, Royals and Eagles on the other, Simon and Stay Gold in the middle like neutral parties.
Akagi started, her tone light but probing. "So. Royal Navy and Eagle Union, sharing tea without anyone drawing weapons. Impressive." She glanced at Simon. "You must be the Digger everyone's talking about. And… Stay Gold, was it? You don't look like any shipgirl I've seen."
Stay Gold waved cheerfully. "That's 'cause I'm not! I'm an Uma Musume—built for racing, not sailing. But I can keep up with the best of you out there."
Zuikaku leaned forward, curious. "Racing? Like… on land? That sounds fun. We've got some fast girls too—Yukikaze here could probably give you a run for your money."
Yukikaze puffed up a little. "I'm the luckiest destroyer! No one catches me."
Stay Gold grinned. "Challenge accepted! Maybe later?"
'hmm uma against ship girl, something that should be impossible but it's quite interesting to see' thought simon while imagining how the match would turn out, he also started thinking about the other umas he trained in the game 'maybe one day i can go to the uma musume world'
Queen Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Before we get to games, let's talk business. You didn't sail all this way for tea."
Kaga spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "We came because the Sirens are stirring more than usual. Our scouts report increased activity in the Pacific—mirror seas popping up closer to our islands. And then we hear about this… cooperation." She looked at Enterprise. "It's unexpected."
Enterprise met her gaze steadily. "Unexpected, or uncomfortable?"
Akagi's smile tightened. "Both, perhaps. You know our history, Enterprise. Pearl Harbor, Midway—the wounds from those days don't heal easily. Eagle Union and Sakura Empire… we were enemies once. Your carriers sank our sisters; ours struck first at yours. Trust doesn't come back overnight."
Shoukaku nodded quietly. "It's true. We respect your strength, but there's always that shadow. The Sirens love exploiting it—sending illusions that look like old battles, stirring up the pain."
Zuikaku added, a bit more heated. "Yeah. It's hard to forget when every exercise feels like a reminder."
Simon listened, then spoke up gently. "I get it. In my world, we had divisions like that—underground folks scared of the surface, Beastmen ruling with an iron fist. Took a lot of blood and belief to bridge it. But the real enemy was bigger than any grudge. Same here with the Sirens."
Stay Gold tilted her head. "Exactly. Holding onto old stuff just slows you down. In races, you learn from losses, but you don't let them stop you from the next start line."
Queen Elizabeth jumped in. "Look, no one's asking you to forget. Just… set it aside for now. Share what you're seeing in your waters. Maybe run a drill together. See if it works."
Akagi considered, sipping her tea. "A drill, hm? That could be interesting." She looked at Simon. "We've heard about your Spiral Power. Care to show us?"
Simon nodded. "Sure. Lagann's ready if you are." 'and I'm also quite curious whether it's possible for the ship girls to use spiral energy' he thought that in the world of Gurren Lagann, all living creatures who have the determination to continue to develop have spiral energy and if it's just about strong determination, the ship girls clearly have that
Kaga's eyes sharpened. "Very well. We'll observe—and participate. If it proves worthwhile, we'll discuss more."
The group stood, the tension easing a little as they headed to the training grounds. Shoukaku smiled at Stay Gold. "You up for that race later?"
Stay Gold laughed. "You bet! Let's see what you've got."
As they walked, Akagi fell in step beside Enterprise. "For what it's worth… I don't enjoy the grudges either. But they're there."
Enterprise glanced at her. "Maybe this is how we start burying them."
The fog had cleared, cherry blossoms metaphorically blooming in the alliance's fragile garden.
The spiral turned onward. A week has passed since that first meeting, and the research that the Sakura Empire will conduct has also begun. Of course, everything is being conducted at the Royal Navy port. It's like Simon's base. It's safe to say it's indeed his. The Dai Gurren team flag flies alongside the Royal Navy flag where now the Eagle Union and Sakura Empire flags also fly there, signifying their unity.
During that time, Simon meets another shipgirl from the Sakura Empire. Her most prominent features are the emerald green cat ears atop her head and a cat-like tail. She has short, mint green hair and large, vertical-pupiled eyes, typical of cats. She wears loose-fitting clothing, resembling an oversized white lab coat, with purple and pink accents. Underneath, she wears simple clothing. Her clothing design features cat paw motifs and other feline-related elements. She carries wrenches and repair tools, reflecting her role as an engineer and repair service provider. Her ship's equipment (seen in the background or during combat) features industrial and repair design elements, such as small cranes and work platforms.
The most famous repair ship from the Sakura Empire, the money-loving and stingy cat, is none other than Akashi.
"Nya~, I feel like you're thinking badly of me, Simon-san~" a coquettish and cheerful voice beside him snapped Simon out of his thoughts.
"No, it's just your imagination," he said quickly to the cat shipgirl. She was currently in the examination room and not wearing a top at all.
Why did Simon end up like this? Well, it was this naughty cat. When she heard about spiral energy and its immense potential, she immediately became overly excited and nearly dissected him on the spot. Thankfully, she was stopped before that could happen. And it's not that Simon is afraid or anything; with spiral energy, he can do anything, even bring the dead back to life.
In the anime, this isn't done simply to honor the hopes of the dead and the dreams of future generations. But in Azur Lane, as the only living being with spiral energy, Simon is virtually unkillable as long as his willpower remains.
"Forget that, so did you find anything useful in my blood?" he said, quickly changing the subject.
Well, he can't be operated on, but at least Akashi can research his blood. As for blood loss, that's practically impossible. He has a vast reserve of spiral energy. Although not as large as at the end of the original series, losing a few drops of blood is nothing to him.
"Nya~ Regarding that issue, there are still no satisfactory results, nya~," Akashi said, shaking his head weakly and tiredly. He had tried many things, but nothing worked. Simon's blood, imbued with spiral energy, was almost indistinguishable from normal human blood. Apart from the fact that the blood itself had healthier and stronger cellular tissue, there was nothing that distinguished it from normal blood.
"I see," he nodded slightly in understanding. Well, his blood didn't have anything special in it, so it was pointless to research it. "What about the shipgirls' potential to use spiral power?"
In Gurren Lagann itself, all spiral creatures (humans and other evolved species) possess Spiral Energy, which is essentially the power to materialize matter and energy through determination and fighting spirit. So, as long as someone has sufficient determination and fighting spirit, they will definitely possess Spiral Energy.
"As for that, nya~, there's still no progress yet. We've done what you said, nya~, but even shipgirls with fighting spirit like Enterprise don't have it, nya~," she replied, shaking her head again, her cat tail swaying with her movements.
'Is it because this world doesn't recognize the concept of evolution like in Gurren Lagann' Simon thought after hearing Akashi's words. This confused him because he knew that as long as there was enough determination, the spiral power would awaken and appear. With that thought, he used his spiral power to reappear his cloak, a small burst of green energy appearing around him as the distinctive cloak materialized and appeared on his shoulders.
"How enviable nya~" Akashi said as she watched Simon casually use his spiral power for such a trivial matter. And from what he said, spiral energy could materialize any substance from nothing as long as the user had enough determination to do so. "Imagine how many gold coins I could make if I had power like that nya~" the money-eyed cat sighed longingly, already imagining herself having unlimited wealth if she had spiral energy.
"Hey, focus," Simon said, flicking Akashi's forehead with his finger. It wasn't strong enough, just a simple flick, and as a shipgirl, the money-grubbing cat should be able to handle it.
"Meow?!" A cat's screech escaped her lips, like a kitten whose tail was caught in a door and couldn't pull it out. "What was that for, nya?!~" Akashi snapped, rubbing her red forehead from Simon's flick. It wasn't painful enough to injure her, but it still hurt.
'Am I overreacting?' he thought, looking at the red mark from his flick. Simon felt a little guilty towards the mint green cat in front of him, just a little. "I have a question. Since shipgirls can't just use spiral energy, why don't they build spiral energy transmission engines like Lagann's on their ship's hulls?"
Because if this world doesn't have the concept of evolution, why not create their own evolutionary pathway and Simon can be the power source.
"nya!??" As if having just received inspiration, Akashi's eyes widened as big as saucers. Why didn't she think that far ahead? The ship maidens were manifestations of real warships from various countries and were able to survive thanks to the wisdom cube. They could be repaired and made stronger as long as they had sufficient materials.
"But there's still another obstacle~. Your mecha's engine is something I've never built or seen before~, so it's not guaranteed that the ship maidens can use it. Even if it could, there would be a problem with the required materials and technology~."
The cat shipgirl explained the current obstacle they were facing, and their biggest problem was the lack of sufficient materials. As long as they had everything, she and the Bulins could create it.
Hearing Akashi's words, Simon simply stared blankly, as if looking at a fool. He sighed before extending his right hand to an empty area in the room.
A burst of green spiral energy erupted from his hand, and at that moment, a 1x1 meter steel block appeared there.
Akashi could only stare in disbelief and silence when she saw that, she forgot that spiral energy was not only about evolution, it could also create something from nothing itself.
"Call me when what I asked you to do is done," he said as he turned and walked out of the room.