"Mikasa… what are you doing?… I can't breathe!" Eren struggled, but Mikasa's grip was stronger than his.
Her year of rigorous training in the Training Corps had given her well-defined muscles, and the lines of her arms were as perfect as those of a masterful sculpture, like a work of art.
Eren was completely unable to break free from Mikasa's embrace; he was like a small cat suffocating, his face buried in Mikasa's slightly developed chest.
He was about to yell at her as usual, but… something warm dripped onto his face.
They were tears—Mikasa's tears…
Mikasa couldn't help but cry. She sobbed softly.
Why was she crying?
Eren stopped struggling and reflected on the reason behind it.
He quickly realized that Mikasa was worried about him.
The reason he figured it out so quickly was thanks to the discussion he had with Gale in March of this year.
That was the second time he had argued with Gale since they met. The first time was when they met, when he had a conflict with the soldiers attending the refugees and threw bread onto the ground. Gale snatched it away from him.
During the next two years, he followed Gale's instructions, advancing step by step from the border to the steelworks, then to the capital, beyond the walls, taming giants and establishing a shipyard.
He wasn't very smart; he knew he could never have achieved what he had today on his own.
However, he inevitably clashed with Gale because, by using the power of the Founder to communicate with the people of the capital, he obtained a list of the Navy's preliminary personnel that included the names of Mikasa and Armin.
That was the day he found out that Gale had assigned Mikasa and Armin to the Training Corps.
"Why didn't you tell me, Gale?"
"Why are Mikasa and Armin on the front lines?!" Eren shouted angrily at Gale, demanding that he intervene and negotiate with the government to replace Mikasa and Armin, thus allowing both of them to remain safely in the capital.
Gale dragged him along, and the two of them went alone to the beach.
"Eren, I never asked Mikasa and Armin to join the Training Corps; it was their own decision."
"During the Female Titan incident, you transformed into a Titan and fought against her."
"At that moment, Mikasa ran back to the vineyard. She could have gone to a safe place with Armin, but she returned. Have you ever wondered why?"
"Because she was worried about you. She feared you would die, she feared she would never see you again." Gale sat on the beach, tossing pebbles into the sea. "Mikasa and Armin feared you would disappear like this pebble, so they came to see me."
"When they were in the Training Corps, I did not provide them with any kind of secret access."
"The Marine Preliminary Selection Team is composed of the most hardworking and talented soldiers among all. The fact that Mikasa and Armin's names appear on the list can only mean one thing: they have become exceptional soldiers."
"Those two climbed step by step on their own. They were determined to stand by your side on the battlefield, so they worked harder and gave more than anyone else."
"Even so, are you still going to ask me to replace them?" Gale stared directly into Eren's eyes, searching for an answer. "If you insist, I will help you replace them. After all, you are the holder of the Founder's power."
"But in the end, I want to say one thing: everyone who lives in this world should be free and fight with all their strength to achieve it."
After hearing these words, Eren lowered his head and returned to his post. He realized one thing: he was not qualified to make decisions for Mikasa and Armin.
Although he felt uneasy, he patiently waited for the day he could see his friend again after that conversation.
…
Eren reached out and wiped the tears from Mikasa's eyes.
It seemed that somewhere, at some time, he had also been held just as tightly.
During the Female Titan incident, the shockwave from the explosion had knocked him unconscious.
Dazed, he felt someone pull him out from the back of the giant's neck, followed by a warm and firm embrace.
Ah, I see… Now he remembered that the person who had hugged him that day was Mikasa.
This was their reunion after a year, and he had missed her very much.
"Stop crying…" Eren said with a serious expression. "You're not a child anymore."
Armin scratched his head, said nothing, and tactfully left the place.
He had the highest IQ and emotional intelligence among the three, so he understood perfectly that he should not disturb them at that moment.
Unexpectedly, after a year apart, Eren had finally come to his senses.
Indeed, people cannot be judged by stereotypes; people grow and mature.
Armin was walking elsewhere when he suddenly heard someone call out, "Hey you, Armin, right? I remember you're a technician, correct? Do you know first aid? This guy is having an attack!"
Connie grabbed Armin's hand and pulled him toward Jean.
Jean was clutching his chest tightly, as if he were about to have a heart attack.
"This… looks really serious." Armin leaned closer. "Hey! Are you okay? Does your heart hurt?"
"Leave me alone!" Jean pushed Armin's hand away and muttered, "Just let me be alone."
Jean was speechless, immersed in pain; this was what it felt like to have a broken heart.
His heart was shattered.
Connie and Armin looked at each other, wondering what had gone wrong. For safety, they took him to the infirmary for a checkup.
That night, a welcome party was held at the shipyard. After all that commotion, Armin got to know Connie and Jean quite well.
Then came the training days.
To familiarize themselves with working at sea in advance, they went to the beach and used small wooden boats to practice their swimming skills.
The construction of Navy One progressed steadily over time.
The ship's chassis, the cabins, the engine room… were built piece by piece.
Titans entered the engine room to conduct tests. Twenty Titans of different sizes lay on the ground, turning the propellers with their arms, while the gear mechanism made them rotate.
Supplies were continuously transported from within the walls, and the parts and structure of Navy One were constantly adjusted and optimized during testing.
The Armored Titan, the Attack Titan, the Female Titan, and the Jaw Titan—four intelligent Titans—joined the construction of Marine One.
Due to technological limitations, there were some issues with the ship's waterproofing. This was compensated by the Titans' hardening, as the Armored Titan created an extremely durable material to seal the leaks.
For large parts that needed adjustment, lines were drawn and then the Jaw Titan cut them with its claws.
Three months later, in mid-July of the year 847, it was announced that all components of Navy One had been completed and that all tests had been passed perfectly.