His shadow clones had never been idle. Aside from returning to the main body when needed to digest experiences and memories, the development of the naval base never stopped.
Cheshire's current Level 20 strength was due to daily combat training and special training from Laffey, a max-level shipgirl.
With a fellow shipgirl around, Laffey didn't slack off in this regard either—she was very diligent.
Combat training involved fighting fantasy ingredient creatures researched and created by Raize. The Wisdom Cube was mysterious, and Raize hadn't fully deciphered it yet.
It allowed shipgirls to absorb real combat data from the external world to evolve, which was the fundamental factor behind their ability to grow stronger.
"Cheshire, have you finished today's combat training?"
Raize walked while wiping sweat from his forehead. The clingy big cat hugged one of his arms, her delicate and beautiful face wearing a kitten-like, comfortable smile, as relaxed as a pet with its owner.
Aside from Raize's self-training, all currently born shipgirls also needed to train and grow stronger for the future.
Raize didn't keep trophies and didn't want to treat such powerful and beautiful shipgirls merely as attractive members of the opposite sex.
Having strong abilities would make things much easier.
"Cheshire finished everything she needed to do today. To reach Darling's side sooner, Cheshire was super motivated~"
Hugging Raize's sturdy arm, Cheshire shook her head playfully and said cheerfully.
Though training could cause injuries and make her dirty, Cheshire, as she said, worked hard to keep Raize in her sight as soon as possible.
As a research shipgirl without a prototype or physical form, though not as close as Laffey, she was still very attached to Raize.
Daily combat was tough, especially practical training. Under Raize's instructions, these newly born Level 1 shipgirls all had to fight.
And with Laffey supervising the practical training, as long as they weren't on the verge of death from the monsters, Laffey wouldn't intervene.
The same applied to some Common and Rare shipgirls. Raize didn't judge them by their rarity; with him around, they would all become powerful shipgirls beyond Super Rare quality.
Except for some younger destroyer shipgirls with lighter training loads, they were responsible for mining resources in this block world.
Raize deeply understood the nature of shipgirls. Although he had reservations about such strict methods even for children,
He knew the principle that the weak get bullied. So, he'd rather let his children endure some hardship now than let them suffer and bleed in the future.
"You might be motivated, but the results aren't ideal, Miss Cheshire. Please don't disturb the Commander's own training in the future, alright?"
As Raize and Cheshire walked intimately out of the training platform and into the corridor toward the office, a cold voice from around the corner interrupted Cheshire's one-sided actions.
Another cold, elegant woman with an iron-blooded aura appeared. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she wore black high-heeled boots.
Her impressive bust strained against her dark military uniform, and a solemn black military cap sat atop her head. Her dark golden hair exuded an intangible pressure, and her blue eyes, the same color as Raize's, stared unfriendly at Cheshire clinging to their Commander.
Iron Blood Super Rare Battleship—Bismarck. Since her birth before Raize's eyes, she had always maintained a stern, iron-blooded demeanor.
Her tone was equally cold, as if devoid of emotion, which amplified her icy, elegant presence and bearing.
"What do you mean 'disturb'?! I only went to Darling after he finished training! I didn't disturb him at all!"
A Royal Navy shipgirl facing an Iron Blood shipgirl—though both were under Raize's command, some personalities were inherently incompatible. Cheshire glared angrily at the cold-faced woman and retorted discontentedly.
Why put on such a cold face in front of Darling? It's better to greet him with the perfect smile.
Like Cheshire, who was very particular—after training, she'd take a fragrant bubble bath and face Raize in her best state.
"Hmph. No sense of a warrior's bearing or posture."
Bismarck had little patience for this Royal maid shipgirl. As she said, though Cheshire didn't slack off in combat training, her results weren't ideal.
In terms of strength, Cheshire was Level 20, while Bismarck here had already reached the threshold of Level 30—something Raize noticed immediately.
"Bismarck, you've reached this threshold. Are you here to update your data?"
Raize, still in his empty, ethereal state, allowed a faint smile to appear on his expressionless face. Whenever shipgirls broke through a threshold, they'd update and record the Wisdom Cube data for later targeted adjustments to enhance their strength.
"Yes, sorry to trouble you, Commander. Afterwards, if possible, I'd like to request personal combat training from you."
Her purpose seen through, a stunning smile broke through Bismarck's cold expression, making her look incredibly beautiful.
It wasn't that Bismarck would give Raize attitude—her personality was just like this. Raize understood and didn't mind, nor did he expect unnecessary changes for his sake.
Shipgirls created personally would dedicate themselves to their Commander as long as their character wasn't trash.
Bismarck wasn't a puppet; she had her own thoughts. She and Raize respected each other, and Bismarck recognized Raize's qualities and strength in all aspects, taking pride in having such a Commander.
For Raize's shipgirl training plans, she was fully supportive. Regarding shipgirls like Cheshire, who were temporarily lagging in strength, Bismarck's attitude was one of frustration, wanting to urge them to grow stronger quickly—without any malice or ill will.
Shipgirls were beautiful combat spirits, but Bismarck wasn't just a pretty façade. She had high aspirations for strength.
In this pursuit, Bismarck was confident that her Commander was no different from her, so the two could relate well in certain aspects.
"Let's talk as we walk. The other shipgirls should be finishing training and returning to port."
Raize gave Cheshire a look, and she obediently released his arm, though her eyes clearly showed reluctance. But she knew better than to cause too much trouble for her Darling.
In this regard, Cheshire had a good sense of moderation.
As they walked, Raize carefully examined the cold, elegant mature woman beside him, thoroughly inspecting Bismarck's changes through their connected mental link.
This unabashed, almost penetrating gaze, as if seeing through Bismarck's body, made even her—someone with a cold and stoic personality—blush slightly.
After all, aside from her personality, she was still a girl.
Raize's gaze held no impurity; he was merely observing Bismarck's changes.
"Hmm, the energy reserves in your Wisdom Cube have changed significantly. Your energy level has also reached the threshold for using that piece of equipment."
After his inspection, a satisfied smile appeared on Raize's face. Bismarck had inherited certain traits from him, including his violent spiritual pressure, which gave her Wisdom Cube energy greater capacity than other shipgirls.
And now that Bismarck's internal energy level and capacity had improved, she was ready to have that 'Black Hole Cannon' installed and modified onto her.
"Commander, is it a special equipment?"