XeneDoesSomething
In a world obsessed with the "Instinct" of the legendary Admiral-a man who commands the seas with charisma and flame-you are the anomaly. You are the younger brother. You are the student of the manual, the keeper of the ledger, and the man who knows the exact boiling point of Grade-A turbine lubricant.
When you are assigned to a neglected, salt-rotted outpost on the edge of the world, everyone expects a hero. Instead, they get a rookie with a suitcase full of textbooks and a habit of checking the foundations. The shipgirls of the Unified Port are exhausted, used to being treated as expendable weapons for political glory. They don't need a savior to lead them into a glorious death; they need an officer who will fix their boilers and tell them the truth.
But as you dig through the layers of corruption and rusted steel, you realize that being "Proper" is the most dangerous thing you can be. Between a bureaucrat demanding a show of force and a fleet that has forgotten how to trust, you must prove that the strength of a ship isn't found in its medals, but in its maintenance.
No secret powers. No instant romance. Just the cold, hard calculus of survival.
This is a work of fan fiction. Azur Lane and all associated characters, logos, and lore are the intellectual property of Yostar, Manjuu, and Yongshi. I do not claim ownership over the Azur Lane franchise.