06:00, GMT ???, December 15th, a random abandoned island:

Sheffield is hiding under the ruins of a city on ab abandoned island, with A6M5 Zeroes zipping overhead not far above. Right now they are under a blockade with Siren warships lay siege outside. Sakuran ships are also among them.

Battleship Yamashiro: We got you now. (fall down from a pole) Ouch.....

Inside a random building:

Akashi: *staring at the Black Wisdom Cude* What a mystery....

Edinburgh: You telling me that you haven't seen it before? Aren't you a member of Sakura Empire?

Akashi: I'm just a repair ship with no place in the higher-ups, nya. *flashback, legs shivering* M-Maybe they got this secretly from the Sirens! And if they did, then we are screwed! *bawling on the ground*

Sheffield: I have returned.

Edinburgh: How's everything, Sheffield?

Sheffield: Scout planes patrols are intensifying. It's safe to assume that we've been spotted. They know we're here.

Edinburgh: What should we do?

Sheffield: A rescue fleet in already underway. They are not far from here. Though I highly down that they would sit idle. Get ready for a fight.

Back to the Sakurans:

Shoukaku: How can we tell that the ships are safe? What if the Sirens regain control of them?

Zuikaku: Akagi said that it's impossible. She said as long as Orochi remains, everything will be okay.

Shoukaku: I just hope that things would actually go accordingly with whatever scheme inside her mind this time. One Midway is bad enough.

Zuikaku: You're suspicious?

Shoukaku: It makes me feel uncomfortable. They better not go sleep for another decade with fish.

Zuikaku can only laugh dismissively.

On a Takao-class heavy cruiser:

(A/N: Fun fact: Even though Takao, evidently, was built before Atago, Atago was completed first. That's why Atago is the big sis)

Takao: ( I have failed my mission and let the enemy. I have to find a way to restore my honor, and settle the score with that man.)

Atago: What's the matter, Takao. You've got that frowny face again.

Takao: Atago! Since when did you sneak behind my back?

Atago pays no mind at what Takao just said. Instead she keeps touching a flustered Takao intimately, then turn her attention towards Ayanami.

Atago: Would you like some to, Ayanami?

Ayanami: I respectfully decline.

Takao: Stop it! Can't you take this mission seriously?

Takao: Yes, ma'am. How's it looking over there?

Zuikaku: The island is filled with rubble. It won't be easy to pinpoint their location with that many hiding place

On somewhere else:

Fusou: We must be patient. Wait for the scout planes then we can finally strike.

Furataka: But Akashi was taken by them! We couldn't just sit idly like this! Who knows what horrible things they could have done with her?

Kako: Fusou! Iron Blood reports that they have spotted an enemy fleet.

Z23: It's Azur Lane

Köln: Ja. I can confirm that.

Z1: Vhat now? Should we plan and take them out first?

Prinz Eugen: Only when Mother herself give the order.

Azur Lane Rescue Fleet:

Oklahoma: A lot of building for such a small island.

Helena: There seems to be a lot of people used to live here.

San Diego: The island have been abandoned after the initial Siren attacks.

Cleveland: *look at the blockade via telescope* Looks like they got the upper hand

Prince of Wales: On the other hand, it confirms that this is where our operatives are hiding.

Cleveland: So what's your plan. Getting through that blockade are not going to be easy.

Prince of Wales: I don't want to put their safety at risk. I wonder what is Belfast thinking.

On CV-6 Enterprise:

Enterprise: You don't seem to be worried about your friends.

Belfast: I have no doubt that we could pull this off

Javelin: Could Ayanami be in there?

Laffey: Possibly.

Javelin: If I see her again, I...

Atago: What's the matter, Ayanami? If you want to talk about something, I'm here to listen. *hands wide open*

Ayanami: I'm fine, you stay right there. *backs off*

Atago: You don't have to be afraid of me, ya know?

Atago: Why do seem so timid about fighting?

Ayanami: I don't dislike fighting......but I don't like it either. To me, all of Sakura Empire is my treasured friends. But on the other side.....they have friend to hang out and to laugh at.....just like I do.

Atago gives Ayanami a comforting hug. This time, Ayanami doesn't decline.

Sheffield and Edinburgh are peeking their heads from their hiding place. A squadron of Zeroes noticed their presence and report back to Zuikaku before being shot down.

Sheffield: We should go.

Akashi: Are you crazy? The entire island is surrounded!

Sheffield: No. Now is the best time to escape.

Köln: Sakuran fighters have spotted the hiding ships!

Prinz Eugen: I suppose we should also make a bit of effort.

Z23: Mother just called me. She have given us permission to strike.

Norfolk: Time to get focused. Turn the guns, take aim and......

Prince of Wales: OPEN FIRE!

Guns of various calibers roar to life, each salvo delivering lethal armor-piercing shells down to the opposing blockade. The Sakurans, predictably, remain unwavering in front of such firepower.

Takao: This attack must be a diversion. Azur Lane is using the fog and chaos to rescue their friends. That being said, we cannot ignore this attack even if it's a diversion

Zuikaku: We'll handle them. I must find out whether Grey Ghost is among the fleet.

Cleveland, Belfast, Javelin and Laffey are moving towards the islands, their hands holding pieces of camouflage canvas. Upon entering the island, they discarded their camouflage, but their arrival is not unnoticed.

Takao: Not so fast.

Takao slashes downward while airborne, stopping the rescue squad dead on its track. Atago soon joins her sister.

Cleveland: This is the worst timing possible. Laffey, Javelin, stay sharp!

On their position, Laffey and Javelin encountered Ayanami

Outside the island:

Norfolk: Hostile aircrafts inbound! Prepare the AA guns!

San Diego: FIRE!

Several F4F Wildcats swoop in to intercept the Sakuran aircraft. Zuikaku determined that those Wildcats belongs to Enterprise, so she left Shoukaku behind to find for the Union carrier. Inside the island, Prinz Eugen, Köln and the Iron Blood destroyers are raining hell upon the Royal Maid operatives while Takao and Atago keep Cleveland and Belfast busy. Javelin and Laffey, again, run away from Ayanami, not wanting to fight against their friend. Back at the sea, supporting ships of both sides are duking it out against each other. Cleveland, knowing that Belfast was worried about her sister, voluntarily stay behind to hold off Atago and Takao. When Belfast arrives, the situation seems dire. Edinburgh and Sheffield are surrounded, both of them have sustained gunshots and torpedo hits. Prinz Eugen opens fire another salvo, but Belfast appears just in time, blocking all the shots towards her sister.

Prinz Eugen: So you have arrived. Too bad you are a move far too late. Victory is already in our grasp.

Belfast: No.

Prinz Eugen: What?

Belfast: Victory is in our hands.

Enterprise: It appears you do have a soft heart, Belfast

Prinz Eugen: Schiesse.......

Zuikaku: No....it cannot be....

Shoukaku: They have fooled us.

Hornet: Sorry, but you chase after the wrong sister.

Prinz Eugen: This is bad. We must retreat.

Z23: Vhat?

Köln: Hold on, Prinz Eugen, I received communication.

"Second Carrier Division to all present Crimson Axis forces. We have arrived."

Prinz Eugen: How the tables have turned.

Enterprise: Shit.

Azur Lane Rescue Fleet: *on comms* We are under heavy bombardment! Please tell us you have the operatives and their cargo with you!

Enterprise: *on comms*  We have rescued them. Hold them off until we arrive!

???: Not so fast

5th Carrier Division: *on comms* Thanks for the timely arrival, 2nd Carrier Division

The arrival of 2nd Carrier Division turned the tables against Azur Lane. Their fleet is under heavy pressure from incoming dive bombers and torpedo bombers. Not only that, but they have to cease their gun duel to defend themselves from aircraft, allowing Sakura Empire to press on.

Hornet:WHY DOES NO ONE TELL US THAT HIRYU AND SORYU ARE ALSO PRESENT?

Prince of Wales: Hold fast, everyone!

Norfolk: Rescue squad reporting! They have retrieved the cube and got the operatives. We must hold them off until they join us!

Belfast: *on comms* Bad news. We cannot leave.

Norfolk: What?

Radio: *Cleveland's voice* Oh fuck....No....It cannot be....It's them!

Norfolk: Who?

Radio: *Clevaland's voice* They are.....

Z1: Friedrich der Grosse and Musashi.

Prinz Eugen: We got you surrounded again. How lucky.

Z23: Thank you for personally arriving, Mother.

Friedrich der Grosse: It's a mother's duty to help out their child whenever they are in need

Takao: I humbly thank you for helping this servant, my Shogun.

Musashi: Pay it no mind (You better have backup, Arthur.)

Enterprise: This is bad. I cannot defeat them

Cleveland: Well fuck

Cheerful and energetic situation as she normally is, Cleveland cannot help but grimaces at their hopeless situation. Sakura Empire is holding air superiority over the skies, while she and the rest of the squad is outnumbered and outgunned, and to make matters worse, two of them were the most powerful battleships of their factions, whom not even Enterprise can defeat. At least if they were to die,  they die standing.

Cleveland: Enterprise. Belfast.

Enterprise/Belfast: Yes?

Cleveland: One last fight?

Enterprise and Belfast grimly nods. The only way to get out is someones have to be the rearguard. And that role falls onto them.

Enterprise/Cleveland/Belfast: Sheffield, Edinburgh, Javelin, Laffey. Take the cube and the cat out out here. We will perform a rearguard action to buy you time.

Prinz Eugen: My my, how valiant.

Friedrich der Grosse: If you surrender the Cube, we will let you be.

Enterprise: You already know how we would answer.

Friedrich der Grosse: Very well. A pity, but your lives ends here.

Suddenly, a voice reverbrates through the entire battlefield.

"Well well, what a mess is going on here."

Musashi: (This voice.....He's finally here. That weird bastard.)

A New Orleans-class heavy cruiser with lots of loudspeakers on the deck stops in front of Zuikaku. Above it was someone. Someone everybody knows. Someone Zuikaku cannot forget.

Zuikaku: You.

Arthur: Yes, it's me. Admiral Arthur of the Azur Lane. You miss me?

Zuikaku: State your purpose before I cut you in half.

Arthur: Nothing much, really. I'm just here to watch the battle unfolds, and to make an announcement.

Zuikaku: An announcement?

Arthur: YES

"Attention, everyone. I am Commander/Admiral of Azur Lane, Arthur Godfrey. I promise this will be quick. My announcement is:

'A toast. To the Marianas Turkey Hunters.'"

Crimson Axis (sans Musashi): Marianas Turkey Hunters? *realization hit their brains* Aw shit.

Essex Quintet: *on comms* Reinforcements have arrived!

More than one hundred F4U Corsairs and F8F Bearcats soar through the sky, slaughtering any and all Sakuran fighters and bombers on their way, their .50 cal machine guns tearing through the fragile airframes of their enemies, reducing them to flaming debris. Azur Lane has gained air supremacy again, the scale now tipped towards them. Squadrons of SB2C Helldivers and TBF Avengers follow suit, their ordnance targeting the Crimson Axis forces. This allow the initial fleet to repeat their bombardment. Within 15 minutes, much of the mass-produced Siren warships are laid to waste.

Arthur: *on comms* Essex, how's the chopper?

Essex: It has taken off.

Arthur: Good.

Far behind Essex appears another, even larger, aircraft carrier.

Enterprise: That man comes just in time.

Belfast: Victory is nigh.

Cleveland: I honestly didn't expect him to show up!

Javelin: You hear that? Sir Arthur is here, Laffey!

Prinz Eugen: Tsk, that man ruined our plan again. But don't be cocky just yet! You are still surrounded.

Suddenly, Friedrich der Grosse and Musashi are hit, explosions tearing their armor.

Prinz Eugen/Z23/Takao/Atago: MOTHER!!!!!/ SHOGUN!!!!!

A few minutes earlier, on the V-22 Osprey:

Yamamoto: This is Falcon-1. Falcon-2 and Falcon-3, report your status.

Halsey/Tovey: *on two F-18E/F super Hornet* Falcon-2 and Falcon-3 copy. We are approaching fast. ETA 5 minutes. Maneuvering through a ruined city requires Top Gun-level skills.

Lütjens: Falcon-1 copy. Why are you maneuvering through a city when you can just, well, fly high above?

Halsey/Tovey: Because we like. What's your status, Falcon-1

Lütjens/Yamaomoto: Altitude 500 meters. Descending......Destination not far in front of us.

Halsey/Tovey: Hey, can we say the line?

Lütjens/Yamamoto: *smirks* Yes

"Let's drop some lead on those mother......"

"FIRE!"

.......

Yamamoto/Lütjens: Target is here. *turn towards the rescue squad* Sorry for being late, girls.

Z23: You bastard again?

Prinz Eugen/Takao: Did you hit our Mother/Shogun?

Yamamoto/Lütjens: And what if we said "Yes" ?

All Crimson Axis inside the island: Then die!

Despite being horribly outgunned and out-armored,  the Crimson Axis shipgirls rushed towards Yamamoto and Lütjens to protect their matriarchs nonetheless. Then, in all of a sudden, they were hit by a swarm of both air-launched and ship-launched anti-ship missiles, two F-18E/F Super Hornets pass over, not far above their heads

Halsey/Tovey: BULLSEYE!n(fly away)

Now it's the Crimson Axis to stuck at a grim situation. All of them suffered heavy damage. Except Friedrich der Grosse and Musashi who still have operation main turrets, they only have AA guns remain operational. All they can do now is dodge as well as they can and hopefully escape. After a while, they realize something: The shipmen pay attention mainly at Musashi. Musashi herself knew it at the start, so she stayed behind to fight. Other shipgirls, especially Atago and Takao,  vehemently protest at first, but eventually agrees. She's the most powerful among them, which mean she can buy the most time before dying. Upon leaving the island, Friedrich der Grosse orders all Crimson Axis ships to retreat.

After the battle:

Arthur: You look quite battered, Musashi.

Musashi: Isn't beating the crap out of me a part of our plan?

Arthur: I know, I know.

Musashi: By the way, where do you find shipboys?

Arthur:  "Shipmen" is more accurate. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much details, except for the fact that they come from another world like the Sirens.

Musashi: Unsurprising.

Arthur: Yamato wouldn't be happy if she sees you in this state.

Musashi: Only if she has her glasses. Her eyesight isn't good so she retired 5 years ago. Pass the title "Shogun" to me after that.

Arthur: Anyway, evac's coming.

A medevac helicopter descends towards them. Arthur helps Musashi boards the aircraft before he climbs on it as well. Today Azur Lane has a stunning victory, while Crimson Axis is soundly defeated.