Glorious nodded inwardly upon hearing this; it was indeed true.
A Commander without a Port and a Commander with a Port are completely different. She and her Commander were without support in this world, and a Port was their true foundation. The sooner they acquired a Port, the greater the benefit for the Commander.
Furthermore, Glorious recalled her other sisters in her Port. She had now met her Commander, but their feelings for the Commander were no less than her own. They had been just as worried as she was after the Commander's sudden disappearance. Acquiring a Port sooner would allow the Commander to gather his other companions sooner.
Her departure for this world had been very rushed. She only had time to inform the others that she sensed the Commander's summons, and then she quickly responded to his call and came to this world.
Fortunately, she had managed to transmit the information about the Commander summoning her. The others shouldn't be too anxious. Otherwise, after the Commander disappeared, and then she vanished too, the Port would have been in utter chaos.
When the Commander disappeared previously, everyone was already very worried. After all, he rarely stayed away from the Port for such a long time, and communication with him had also significantly weakened. Many were already concerned about his situation.
She believed that if the Commander were to summon them again, they would be better prepared and wouldn't rush over like her, bringing no news at all.
Seeing Glorious seemingly moved, Hornet pressed on, "And your Commander isn't awake yet. This is the perfect time for us to finish the drill. We can give him a surprise when he wakes up. I'm afraid once he truly wakes up, you won't be in much of a mood to fight us. At that point, you'll probably only want to be with your Commander, with no mind for battle."
Glorious heard the jest in Hornet's tone, but her character wasn't one to blush at a few teasing remarks.
She nodded slightly, making her decision. Now that she was by her Commander's side, she would, as before, act as his Secretary Ship, helping him alleviate pressure as much as possible.
Whether this pressure came from life or from battle, she would help the Commander resolve it all. This was what she had always done.
"Then let's go to the drill grounds," Glorious declared with determination.
Essex and Hornet exchanged glances, nodding at each other. This outcome was entirely within their expectations. Glorious's response was also not surprising to them. After all, for Ship Girls, while Ship Girls summoned by different Commanders have their own minor differences, for Ship Girls of the same model, their personalities usually don't vary too much.
Glorious-class aircraft carriers are considered super rare Ship Girls in the entire world. Any Port that could possess Glorious would be a cause for the Commander's ecstatic joy.
Countless Commanders dreamed of being able to build Glorious. After all, as Commanders often say, Glorious has virtually no flaws. If one had to point out a flaw, it would definitely be her excessive concern for the Commander, which could easily spoil him.
They had also dealt with Glorious from other Ports a few times before, so they understood how to communicate.
They were inherently helpful and liked to assist others, and making reasonable requests from their Commander's standpoint was almost never refused.
"Duel, duel!" York cheered, jumping with joy. She had never officially participated in a battle.
The Headquarters worried about her safety and never gave her a chance to sortie. She had rarely even seen drills, let alone an opportunity to witness main fleet combat firsthand.
They quickly arrived at a sea area specifically used for drills. Both sides of the battle were Ship Girls with extensive combat experience, so they could fight according to the general drill rules. York watched excitedly from the side. She had never seen a drill between aircraft carriers before; everyone at the Headquarters was too familiar with each other, so they usually didn't fight amongst themselves.
Hornet glanced at Essex, her face full of eagerness. Essex frowned slightly. When Glorious was built, they were present, and she still clearly remembered the immense pressure and the chilling aura that emanated from her.
Hornet, although quite strong, probably wasn't a match at all. Her own strength was similar to Hornet's, so it would likely be difficult to win. Sending Hornet in first would mostly be a waste.
Glorious subtly observed the two in front of her. Their strength wasn't particularly high. Her own level was the maximum, 125. Even within the entire Port, not many people reached level 125. The two in front of her, Hornet and Essex, were likely around level 100. With such strength, they probably couldn't even stand up to a randomly chosen companion from her Port.
The Commander was still very keen on developing the overall strength of the Port. Everyone in the Port had a decent level, and their equipment was also good. The Commander always said that it was better to equip everyone with the gear rather than leaving it in the warehouse, which also saved on expanding the warehouse.
And just as they said, Ports ultimately had to speak with strength. For a Commander, the strength of a Port was largely reflected by the strength of its Ship Girls.
Better strength would lead to better treatment. Since she decided to participate in this drill for the better development of the Port, she might as well display more of her own strength. This would allow her to gain greater benefits.
However, their strength was a bit weak. While showcasing her strength, she also needed to be careful to go easy on them a little, so they wouldn't lose too badly.
It was also very necessary for the Port to maintain good relations with the Headquarters. Moreover, the Commander seemed to have a very good relationship with them, and York also had a good impression of the Commander. The Commander had only been here for a few short days, yet he had gained the approval of many. He was indeed worthy of being the Commander; he performed so excellently no matter where he was. With these thoughts flashing through her mind, Glorious had already made her decision.
"How about both of you come at me together? My strength in our Port is quite good, and if you both come at me, it will better test my combat power."
Essex and Hornet exchanged glances. Such a tone didn't sound like the Royal Navy's usual elegant style, but the Royal Navy always emphasized elegance and pride. Even Glorious, who was rumored to have a very good personality, saying such a thing was not surprising.
After all, the opponent's strength was indeed formidable. They vaguely recalled the powerful oppressive feeling that Glorious exuded when she was built, and they understood in their hearts that if they fought alone, they would probably be far from Glorious's match.
And Glorious's strength far surpassed theirs. She had likely already seen through their true strength and proposed that they both fight together, indicating she was very confident in being able to defeat their combined efforts. With this thought, they no longer had any hesitation.
It was just a drill anyway, so if they went together, they went together. Although their appearances were that of young girls, they had experienced countless battles on this vast sea. In essence, they were all battle-hardened weapons of war.
Teaming up against an enemy, they felt no burden in their hearts. In those countless battles against the Siren, although many were outnumbered, battles where they outnumbered the enemy were also countless.
Both sides sped away in opposite directions on the vast sea, quickly creating a sufficient distance. Both stood ready at their respective positions, quickly preparing. On the ship's deck, carrier-based aircraft spread their wings, ready to take flight, waiting only for the signal to begin the battle to tear through the sky.
A red flare shot into the sky, and the battle commenced instantly.