"Marley, with the combined strength of the Armored Titan and the Beast Titan, successfully concluded the four-year joint war. However, without the intervention of the Armored Titan, King Fritz would have been unable to defeat the enemy's vanguard."
"Under the gaze of many, a foolish spectacle of two main Titans nearly perishing along with the enemy's warships was narrowly averted. Marley's shield was shattered mercilessly, and human wisdom had finally reached its limit."
"The moment humanity surpassed Titan power had arrived. Captain Magath also offered his perspective on the war, attributing Marley's decline to an over-reliance on Titan strength."
"While Marley was heavily dependent on Titan power, other nations were diligently developing technological weaponry. Based on the current progress of aerial vehicle development, a day would come when bombs weighing hundreds of kilograms would rain down from the sky."
"At that point, the main battlefield of war would shift to the skies, and the Titans, who saw themselves as demons of the earth, could only sigh. The leadership had clearly recognized that Marley's development had fallen behind other nations."
"Marley, once the heroic nation that defeated the Eldian devils, was now in such a dire state. At this moment, Zeke proposed his suggestion to the leadership: it was time to restart the Paradis Island operation and reclaim the power of the Titans."
"Zeke clearly understood that a Marley reliant on Titan power had no future. However, before Marley's technology could advance, Marley had to depend on Titan power."
"Therefore, Marley needed to see a major headline in the newspapers: Marley occupies Paradis Island, consolidating all Titan powers. The commander-in-chief also understood that Zeke's tenure as the Beast Titan had only one year left."
"He wished to use this final year to avenge the humiliation of four years prior. The sins committed by Grisha Yeager could only be brought to a close by his own son, showing filial piety and loyalty by denouncing his father at such a young age."
"The leader looked favorably upon Zeke's proposal. After concluding his proposal, Zeke chatted with Colt on the rooftop. Colt was full of admiration for his elder brother, Zeke, who had managed to get the commander-in-chief to consider the opinion of an Eldian."
"Thinking of this, Colt couldn't help but show a wistful expression, as he felt unable to replace the current Beast Titan. Zeke was special; any Eldian injected with Zeke's spinal fluid would be controlled by Zeke and transformed into a pure Titan. This ability had never been seen in any previous Beast Titan, almost as if it were the legendary Founding Titan."
"Colt wanted to know why Zeke was so special, but Zeke feigned ignorance and smoked his cigarette. Zeke then jokingly remarked that even those who learned about Titans couldn't grasp the situation and likely wouldn't until their deaths."
"However, if Colt were to inherit the Beast Titan, he might see Zeke's secret in his inherited memories. 'If you see my unique way of wiping my backside, please don't tell anyone.'"
"At this moment, Captain Magath also arrived. Although Captain Magath appeared decisive and resolute, he was also very concerned and considerate towards his subordinates. Magath immediately asked Zeke for his opinion on the current situation in Paradis Island."
"This was because the investigation teams dispatched by Marley to Paradis Island had all lost contact. Over three years, a total of 32 investigation ships had disappeared on that island."
"Zeke replied that there were currently four Titans on the island. The Founding Titan and the Attack Titan were both harbored by Eren Yeager, while the Colossal Titan and the Female Titan's whereabouts were unknown, though it was likely they had already been defeated on Paradis Island."
"Thirty-two investigation ships disappearing within three years meant that it couldn't have been just a single Titan. At least two Titans, including Eren, must have blocked all escape routes for the investigation ships."
"Furthermore, the threat from Paradis Island wasn't limited to Titans. There were also Vertical Maneuvering Equipment weapons specifically designed to hunt Titans, and finally, there were the Ackerman clan, who were once believed to exist solely for the royal family's lineage."
"They were byproducts of Titan science, possessing extremely high combat prowess. And he never wanted to see that short, smelly man who was only 1.6 meters tall ever again. Meanwhile, Reiner woke up from a nightmare, once again dreaming of his hellish past on Paradis Island. Galliard was by his side, taking care of Reiner."
"Galliard thought Reiner was having a good dream, so he didn't wake him up. Reiner then expressed his gratitude to Galliard for saving him earlier. Galliard replied gruffly that he had only saved Marley, the country that nearly lost the Armored Titan."
"Galliard continued, saying that if he had inherited the Armored Titan back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way. He also mentioned that [name unclear] wouldn't have been eaten by a Titan while protecting his daughter."
"Hearing this, Reiner was shocked. It seemed Galliard had obtained past memories and, through them, learned much about Ymir, calling her a tragic daughter with an impressive name."
"Galliard also understood that returning his elder brother's wrongdoing was Ymir's will, so he questioned what Reiner had done on that island, implying Reiner was simply taken care of."
"Reiner admitted without any pretense. Galliard, through Ymir's memories, also saw Reiner acting as a big brother within the Survey Corps."
"Reiner still offered no defense, accepting all the blame. Reiner's lifeless demeanor instantly angered Galliard. At this moment, Pieck arrived."
"She warned Galliard not to bully the severely injured patient. Reiner, seeing Pieck's haggard appearance, couldn't help but express concern. But Pieck stated she was fine, as she hadn't transformed back into a human for two months."
"Therefore, she had forgotten how to walk on two legs. Pieck then looked at Reiner tenderly. 'Since you're healed, go see Gabi and the others. They're worried about you.'"
"Hearing this, Reiner got up to leave. Pieck, looking exhausted, lay down on the sickbed. Now, the few of them could finally get some rest."
Meanwhile, Gabi, Falco, and the other two were by the sea, worried about Reiner's safety. However, they all had great faith in Reiner's strength, as he was a man who could survive even with his head blown off."
"Perhaps to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere, Sophie told the three a serious piece of knowledge: her neighbor's uncle had once said that the reason the sea is salty is because the uncle often pees in it."
"At this moment, Reiner finally arrived. Seeing Reiner unharmed, the four were overjoyed like children. Since they had rare downtime, they decided to go shopping together."
"Reiner looked at the warrior candidates before him, and his thoughts drifted back to his own past. However, Annie, Bertholdt, and Marcel were no longer here. The figures of his former companions had long since drifted away."
"The past could not be changed, but the future continued. Since that was the case, it was better to seize the present. Reiner then took the four with their occasional money to relax. However, he didn't notice a disheveled, long-haired man watching all of this."