"I must not fear."
"Fear is the mind-killer."
"Fear is the little death that brings total annihilation."
"I will face my fear."
"I will permit it to pass over me and through me."
…
In the middle of the endless sea, a group of armored ships advanced alongside the roar of the waves.
Torrential rain lashed the raging waters, and fierce winds raised gigantic waves that crashed against the armored vessels like enraged beasts.
The Marleyan warships sailed through the dark and deep sea.
It was an unsettling night; they had been caught in a storm.
The sailors were lowering the sails.
Inside the captain's cabin, the experienced Captain Theo Magath had determined a safe course.
He carried with him a gift from the islanders of Paradis: a giant miner's lamp.
This lamp, which required neither electricity nor fuel and was capable of illuminating any environment, was a specialty of that island.
"Damn it, I'm using something made by those island devils!"
Desperately, Theo wanted to smash it to pieces, but he could not. He had to bring his experiences on the island back to his great homeland, Marley.
And under the current circumstances, he had no choice but to use it to light the darkness.
All the supplies aboard had been confiscated by the islanders of Paradis.
Aside from enough coal to sail back to Marley, they only had food and provisions from the island; they did not even have kerosene lamps!
The supplies included the miner's lamp, photographs of gigantic power plants, factories and mining zones, a group photo of them studying in the Paradis Island prisoner-of-war camp, and letters addressed to the Marleyan government.
Remembering the humiliation he had suffered in the prisoner camp, Captain Theo felt a surge of anger.
Those Eldian pigs—how dared they point fingers at him, a noble Marleyan!
In his fifty-plus years of life, he had never been so submissive to Eldians.
In his youth, he had always been the one cutting off Eldians' fingers at the port. To become a captain, he had made many sacrifices and personally selected the most outstanding warriors to inherit the power of the Titans.
Just as he was thinking about his future revenge against Paradis Island, a gigantic wave crashed against the ship, sending massive sprays of water across the deck and violently rocking the vessel.
Theo nearly lost his balance and fell to the floor.
Grabbing the railing, he leaned out from the captain's cabin, felt the wind, and used his enormous miner's lamp to orient himself.
"Starboard!"
The first officer turned the wheel as instructed, and the ship veered to starboard.
Throughout Theo's not-so-short maritime career, storms like today's were common. He had battled the sea countless times and had witnessed the transition from sailing ships to steamships.
Though he was old, he was not a useless old man.
Thanks to his unique judgment, he managed to guide the ship out of the storm zone.
He had sailed this route for ten years and would never sink upon it. Based on his navigational experience, he estimated they would reach Marley's port in no more than two days.
Setting aside the enormous miner's lamp, he sat down and coughed.
His old illness had returned.
Theo took several deep breaths and saw a woman enter through the door.
Pieck Finger had once again begun mingling with the crew.
She was soaked to the bone, her wet hair sticking to her face. She no longer used a cane for support; after all, she had spent more than two months on Paradis Island without transforming into a Titan, and her walking habits had completely adjusted.
Unlike two months ago, not many Marleyan soldiers paid attention to Pieck this time.
That was to be expected. Theo knew that this woman and the bastards of the island had become allies long ago.
It was obvious; all Eldians were the same, their inherent evil would never change!
What honorable Marleyan? In Markuka's eyes, all those Eldians should be executed!
If all Eldians died, there would be no more Titans in the world!
Damn it, he would definitely report them to the government once he returned.
Theo coldly watched Pieck leave the captain's cabin, secretly imagining the hideous form this woman would take as a Titan.
Pieck paid no attention to the gaze of this anti-Eldian extremist.
She smiled and greeted the young Marleyan soldiers, chatting and laughing with them.
The atmosphere was far better than when she had first boarded the ship.
Seven days had passed since she embarked on the repatriation vessel.
All the Marleyan prisoners of war were aboard this ship, which had enough space to carry them all. It had originally been a cargo vessel used to store rations for soldiers.
The ship's hold was spacious, and before sending them to the port, Paradis Island had thoughtfully provided makeshift beds, blankets, and pillows.
The weather was growing colder; it was late autumn, and the nights at sea were especially cold. Without blankets, it was easy to catch a cold.
But the Marleyan prisoners of war did not appreciate Paradis Island's charity. Paradis Island seemed never to have treated them as a threat; even their farewells had been friendly.
This made the Marleyans feel very uncomfortable, as though they were inferior, though in reality they were at that moment.
Pieck remembered being ostracized everywhere she went when she first boarded the ship. Two months earlier, the Marleyan soldiers who blushed just from looking at her face would not even speak to her.
Fortunately, she was quite skilled at interpersonal communication. She subtly used her beauty, deliberately pretending to be melancholy and revealing her "weakness."
These young Marleyan soldiers were easily influenced.
Unlike the extremists who followed the high command, although these soldiers still harbored suspicions about Pieck, they had improved considerably after several days of interaction.
If Marley had still been at peace, Pieck probably would have become close friends with them in a very short time.
Ah... unfortunately, they did not know that Marley was already engulfed in war, and the moment they set foot on land, they would be sent to the front lines.
The Middle East Coalition had declared war on Marley half a month ago, and six days earlier they had successfully defended a siege on a fortress, preserving their territorial gains along the border. Marley was no longer a peaceful place.
After completing her daily social activities, Pieck returned to the living quarters, where she had a private room.
She opened the door and lay down on the bed.
Pieck cut her wrist with a knife; blood dripped onto the floor, steam rose from the wound, and it healed rapidly.
The power of the Titan had returned. She could feel it. She could transform into the Cart Titan once more.
"Dad..." Pieck murmured, covering her eyes with her hands.
Within the Eldian-controlled zone were people she knew: some were neighbors, others were friends and relatives she had made during her training as a Warrior candidate, and others were her subordinates. As the successor of the Cart Titan, she had also selected her own Warrior candidates.
For example, Reiner's family were people with whom she had a good relationship.
"But I have no choice except to give up. I'm so sorry..." The only person she could save was her father; the others could not be transported by aircraft.
After the War Hammer Titan was stolen, the Eldians within the controlled zone would soon be plunged into despair.
Marley would completely lose its only and most lethal Intelligent Titan.
They would have no reason to continue granting Eldians the false title of "honorary Marleyans."
"How terrifying."
Pieck wrapped her arms around her shoulders, feeling a shiver run through her body.
Just imagining that slaughter and that hell made her feel as though she were falling into an icy abyss.