Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Boom!

Setsuna piloted the Strike Freedom Gundam, accelerating to subsonic speed as it launched from the naval base, quickly gaining altitude over the ocean.

Two enormous columns of water erupted in its trail as it soared past the Golden Horn's harbor.

The 18-meter-tall, 80-ton Gundam was a majestic sight.

"Wow, this feels even better than drag racing," Setsuna said, exhilarated by the unprecedented sense of thrust. It felt like tearing across an endless prairie in a high-performance supercar.

"Commander! Commander! You're too fast!"

Several destroyer shipgirls equipped with propulsion systems tried to keep up but found themselves far behind. Their massive tonnage—thousands of tons when their ship forms were deployed—meant that while they could maneuver in the air, they couldn't match the subsonic speeds of the lightweight Gundam.

"The Strike Freedom's top speed exceeds escape velocity, meow," Akashi's voice crackled through the onboard comms.

"In theory, you could leave Earth, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you hit an asteroid, we'd have no way of rescuing you, meow!"

"I'll keep that in mind."

Moments later, Setsuna ascended past layers of clouds. Below him stretched a panoramic view of Constantinople, appearing no larger than the size of a palm. The naval base looked like a sesame seed amidst a vast expanse of verdant forests and ruined cities.

From this high vantage point, the entirety of the world's features unfolded before his eyes.

"The Strike Freedom's weapon systems have been fully installed according to its schematics, meow," Akashi informed him from the naval base. "Though I think you probably know them better than me."

Two MA-M21KF High-Energy Beam Rifles hung prominently. These rifles, an improved version of earlier models, could unleash powerful beams capable of destroying enemy units in a single strike. When linked, they could also serve as a long-range sniper rifle.

Mounted on the head and waist were magnetic rail cannons and CIWS turrets—powerful enough to pierce modern main battle tanks with ease.

For close combat, the Strike Freedom was equipped with a beam saber and a beam shield. Though Setsuna wasn't particularly fond of melee combat, having the option to slice up enemies once in a while was a fun change of pace.

The MX2200 Multi-Phase Beam Cannon mounted on the torso was the Gundam's most formidable weapon. Field-tested by the port, it proved capable of devastating Siren Purifiers. Its destructive power rivaled that of a battleship's main gun, while its firing speed was unmatched.

As an energy weapon, its projectiles traveled at the speed of light, meaning its attacks were effectively instantaneous within a 300,000-kilometer range—far surpassing any kinetic or solid projectile weapon.

Lastly, the Strike Freedom's most iconic feature was the DRAGOON System—eight detachable weaponized wings mounted on its back. Operated via the pilot's mental commands, these floating beam cannons offered 360-degree attack coverage and served as eight autonomous turrets, capable of overwhelming multiple enemies at once.

Click.

Setsuna deployed the DRAGOON units from the Gundam's back. With a thought, the floating cannons locked onto targets on the ocean below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

All eight units fired simultaneously, each blast hitting its mark with pinpoint accuracy. Plumes of steam erupted from the water's surface, eliciting cheers and shouts from the Bulins and shipgirls watching nearby.

"So precise!"

"Wow, look at the size of those waves!"

Accelerating again, the Strike Freedom soared to an altitude of 10,000 meters. Setsuna piloted the Gundam on a tour around Eurasia, reveling in the exhilaration of high-altitude flight.

Operating such a massive machine in the air was an entirely unique experience, giving him a sense of unparalleled freedom.

From a military perspective, humanoid robots like Gundams occupied an awkward niche between tanks and spacecraft.

In terms of aerial combat and mobility, they couldn't rival spacefighters or starships. For ground warfare, tanks and treaded mechs provided superior cost-efficiency, as they could allocate all their weight to weapons and armor without the structural constraints of humanoid limbs. These designs might be ugly, but they were brutally effective.

But Gundams? They were cool.

Sleek lines, striking aesthetics, and impressive spaceflight capabilities—all of it spoke to the dreams of men everywhere.

Driving a Gundam was the closest thing to transforming into a Kamen Rider. The idea of commanding a clunky, ugly tank into battle? Absolutely out of the question.

As for performance, Setsuna found the Gundam adequate. He figured he could always acquire more exotic tech from other worlds in the future to further enhance this "big toy."

"By naval standards, where does a Gundam like the Strike Freedom rank?" Setsuna asked suddenly.

"That's a tough question to answer, meow…" Akashi mused.

"In terms of firepower, the Multi-Phase Beam Cannon rivals a battleship's main guns, and the Gundam is far more mobile. It can even leave the atmosphere, meow!"

"But the Strike Freedom's defensive capabilities can't compare to a warship's. At less than 100 tons, it's…"

"Glass cannon?"

"Not quite, meow." Akashi shook her head. "After all, Commander, your body is tougher than most. Probably tougher than the Gundam itself."

"…"

In most cases, a weapon's weakest link was the pilot. Yet Setsuna suspected he might be able to withstand more punishment than the Strike Freedom.

After another loop around the planet, Setsuna descended back to the beach. The shipgirls eagerly gathered around, marveling at the magnificent machine.

Some of the more energetic destroyers had already run off to beg Akashi for their turn with the Unicorn, Barbatos, or Destiny Gundam.

"This thing would be perfect if it were smaller," Setsuna muttered to himself. "Akashi, should we build a command ship for the Alliance to use as its flagship? Otherwise, it's going to be tricky figuring out where to dock the Strike Freedom during missions."

"Stashing it in a shipgirl's hull? That feels… odd."

He considered using technology from the Gundam world to construct a mobile fortress to house his mechas. Lugging around a squad of 20-meter-tall machines seemed cumbersome.

"I don't think it's necessary, meow." Akashi scratched her head.

"Commander, do you remember what the Wisdom Cube's core function is? It materializes the collective perception of a given entity, meow."

"It turns you into whatever you believe you are. So, Commander, what do you think you are?"

"?"

Setsuna froze for a moment. Sitting inside the Strike Freedom's cockpit, he felt an unprecedented sense of synchronization—man and machine as one.

"My gender is attack helicopter… Wait, no."

"I think I'm a Gundam."

Whoosh.

A bright light engulfed the entire area as the Strike Freedom Gundam emitted a blinding white glow, transforming into a massive orb of light.

The mecha began to twist and distort, dissolving into waves of radiant energy. Inside the core of the luminous sphere, only a vague silhouette remained visible.

The shipgirls watched in shock and awe as the spectacle unfolded. Five minutes later, Setsuna gently landed on the ground.

"Hmm?"

He glanced around. The towering Strike Freedom was gone, but a strange sensation coursed through his body. He felt brimming with power, much like the time he absorbed the Wisdom Cube.

"Commander, did you just eat the Gundam...?"

"Uh, no... did you absorb it?" Richelieu and the others crowded around him, staring with wide-eyed disbelief.

The scene was familiar to them—it reminded them of how shipgirls were born. The only difference? Setsuna's core was not a warship but the Strike Freedom itself.

"This is part of the Commander's journey to discover his true self, meow!" Akashi explained as she emerged from the group. "Commander, do you feel any discomfort?"

"On the contrary, I feel great." Setsuna flexed his arms and legs.

Moments earlier, while piloting the Gundam, he had felt an inexplicable oneness with it. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Wisdom Cube within him activated, completely absorbing the colossal machine.

The Azur Lane world wasn't bound by the logic of technological civilizations.

This power—it was on par with the chaotic subjectivity of the Four Chaos Gods.

Seriously, what is this metaphysical nonsense? Setsuna screamed internally.

"Commander, is your body now the Gundam? Can you project it like we do our rigging?" Richelieu asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"Of course."

Whoosh.

With a wave of his hand, Setsuna initiated what could only be described as a transformation sequence. First, the cockpit of the Strike Freedom materialized around him. Then, its torso, limbs, and head extended outward with mechanical precision, snapping into place.

Finally, the eight DRAGOON wings unfurled as he drew the beam saber from his waist, striking an imposing figure on the battlefield.

"So cool! That's way flashier than how we summon our rigging!"

The shipgirls were mesmerized. When they projected their rigging, it was a straightforward flash of white light—practical, but lacking the dramatic flair Setsuna's transformation displayed.

"Can you summon only parts of the Gundam, like how we adjust the scale of our rigging?" Formidable asked, tilting her head.

"Hmm… let me try."

The beauty of shipgirl rigging was its flexibility—it could be small enough to look like a toy or large enough to annihilate entire cities with a single strike.

Setsuna closed his eyes, clasping his hands together to focus on the latent power within him.

Click.

He began projecting portions of the Strike Freedom. The cockpit enveloped him, followed by the upper body of the Gundam. It stopped at the waist, creating a half-mech form approximately ten meters tall.

Though it lacked legs, the mecha floated effortlessly, mirroring Setsuna's every movement. One hand held the beam saber, while the other gripped the beam shield, exuding a powerful aura.

With a casual swipe of his arm, the half-mech mimicked his gesture.

Boom!

A single strike reduced an entire section of forest to ash and rubble.

"Uh... this feels a bit different from your rigging."

"I can summon partial forms of the Strike Freedom to fight. For example, there's a skeleton mode, a half-body mode, and the complete form."

"In skeleton mode, I can use the CIWS and rail cannons. Half-body mode gives me access to the beam saber and shield. The full form lets me unleash the Gundam's full power."

Experimenting further, Setsuna discovered he could freely swap weapons in half-body mode—switching between close-quarters melee and precision ranged attacks. However, to activate the Multi-Phase Beam Cannon or the DRAGOON system, he needed the complete form.

"Is this really what the Wisdom Cube does?" The shipgirls chattered excitedly.

Typically, their combat abilities revolved around projecting rigging or transforming into their ship forms. This kind of transformation-based ability was entirely new to them.

"It looks like some kind of mecha version of Susano'o!"

One of the smaller destroyers exclaimed, clicking her tongue in amazement.

"What's Susano'o?" someone asked, puzzled.

"I don't know. It's from a bedtime story the Commander read to me," Yukikaze said, her ears twitching.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing! I never imagined the Wisdom Cube combined with a Gundam would create such a result."

After the demonstration, Akashi dragged Setsuna into the naval base for a battery of tests. She conducted every conceivable examination, marveling at the results.

"Hmm…"

"Commander, my tests show you now possess an extraordinary affinity for mechanical constructs. Since merging with the Strike Freedom, your physical capabilities have significantly increased. You're now powered by a miniature reactor—congratulations, meow!"

"Also, the Gundam's power output seems stronger than the original Strike Freedom's design."

Thanks to the Wisdom Cube, Setsuna no longer needed to worry about where to store his Gundam between deployments. He could summon and dismiss it at will, adapting its form to suit different combat scenarios.

A mecha version of Susano'o—sleek, powerful, and versatile.

"My Gundam is stronger than the original? Is it because I'm a better pilot than Kira Yamato?" Setsuna asked, intrigued.

"No, meow. It's because the Wisdom Cube fused you and the Gundam into a single entity. The Strike Freedom's power now equals its original strength plus yours," Akashi explained.

"Commander, you're no longer just its pilot—you are the Gundam."

"…"

Setsuna pondered this for a moment before slapping his thigh in regret.

"Damn it, I should've had you build a Star Destroyer instead!"