Gale considered everyone from Marley to be enemies until he could destroy that country's will to wage war.
It was not simply about moving forward, but about rising above everyone else in order to establish order.
Gale would never stoop so low as to be seduced by a Marleyan warrior indoctrinated by the irrational hatred directed toward her own people.
He was far too busy getting enough sleep, so he had no time for such nonsense.
"Soon, Marley will become embroiled in war. The two of you should realize this, right?" Gale recalled the future before Marley had focused entirely on Paradis Island.
"Sir, is Paradis Island planning to declare war on Marley?" Pieck asked while sitting with her hands resting on her lap.
According to her observations, Gale seemed displeased by her playful attitude, so she decided to change her approach and adopt a more professional and serious demeanor.
"Due to the major advancements in internal combustion engine technology, the situation throughout the world has become unstable."
"As important warriors of Marley, surely the two of you cannot ignore these changes." Gale stood up and poured two cups of hot tea for Pieck and Zeke.
"After the incident at Wall Maria, the Founding Titan helped us leave the walls. We established observation points at Marley's ports to monitor their movements."
"This is the first time in five years that they have brought more than one ship to Paradis Island. Previously, they only exiled a few prisoners and quickly returned, but this time, in addition to the transport ships, there are also three warships."
"The two of you came to the island under orders from Marley's government. I believe your mission was not to seize the Founding Titan, but more importantly, to bring back the other warriors in preparation for war."
"That... that's true." Pieck hesitated for a moment before deciding to answer honestly.
After remaining silent for a moment, Gale said, "Marley will soon be at war with other nations, yet it has lost all of its intelligent Titans except for the War Hammer Titan. Have you thought about what will happen to Marley without the power of the Titans?"
"Are you trying to threaten us?" Zeke adjusted his glasses.
"It's not a threat, it's cooperation." Gale placed the cups of tea in front of Zeke and Pieck.
"Cooperation?" Pieck and Zeke exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Gale looked at them for a few seconds before reminding them, "After these past few days of visits, you should have seen how the Eldians live on our island."
After hearing those words, Pieck suddenly realized something very important: they were all Eldians.
She recalled the meals she had eaten in the cafeterias at the power plant and the airport over the past few days. Although they were prisoners of war, they were not isolated; they ate in the same places as the factory workers.
To be honest, the food was quite delicious and plentiful.
There were seafood dishes, vegetables, bread, desserts, and drinks. But the most special thing was the island's typical fried food, "fast food," deep-fried in hot oil. Many workers preferred to buy fried chicken combo meals from the cafeteria.
The islanders enjoyed a materially richer life than the Eldians of Marley.
The greatest difference lay in the gap between their mental outlooks.
The workers here almost always had smiles on their faces during breaks; they looked nothing like the Eldians from the internment zones, who always appeared timid.
"We know how Marley's Eldians live." Gale pulled out three old notebooks from a drawer.
"These are notes we found belonging to someone, documenting his life inside Marley's internment zone."
Zeke and Pieck each took a notebook and flipped through it. When Zeke saw the signature in the notebook, he could not help but pause for a moment.
Grisha Jaeger. These were his father's notes…
The handwriting was familiar to Zeke and did not seem forged.
He looked at Gale, then thought about meeting his mother a few days ago, and suddenly felt as though a massive rock were pressing against his chest, making it hard to breathe.
"The people of Marley used Eldians as Titan weapons. They selected warriors from among the Eldians, forced them to devour members of their own race, and made them fight for Marley."
"Although Marley's army and navy are very powerful, it is still the Titans that play the decisive role in their wars."
"It is easy to imagine that if Marley continues suffering defeats in war, they will do everything possible to squeeze every last bit of potential from the 'Titan Weapons.'"
"I don't want to discuss grand topics like 'paying for sins' or 'all Eldians are sinners' with the two of you. It's just..." Gale stepped closer to Pieck, his voice like the whisper of a devil.
"Miss Pieck, if you did not lie in your records, your father is currently receiving treatment at a public hospital."
"As an Eldian who grew up in the internment zone, you undoubtedly understand better than I do how the Marleyans treat Eldians."
"If Marley loses the initiative in the upcoming war, what do you think they will do?"
"Do you think the Marleyans will continue covering the enormous medical expenses of your critically ill father?"
Upon hearing this, Pieck broke out into a cold sweat. She swallowed with difficulty, and her breathing quickened.
Yes, she could already imagine that scene.
Ever since inheriting the Cart Titan seven years ago, she had participated in numerous wars, both large and small.
The Marleyans transported Eldians aboard airships, injected them with Titan serum, and then dropped Titan weapons onto key enemy cities and fortresses…
Once the Titans had devastated the enemy, the intelligent Titans would clean up the battlefield.
Furthermore, Zeke's generation of the Beast Titan could slightly control the actions of Pure Titans through his roars, which led Marley to intensify its use of "Titan Weapons" in the wars where Zeke participated.
During wartime, Marley also recruited "Eldian soldiers," sending Eldians to fight on the front lines and essentially using them as disposable resources.
Indeed, in the eyes of the Marleyans, Eldians were nothing more than "objects" and possessed no human rights whatsoever.
If she could not return, if she and Zeke could not recover the power of the Titans, her father would definitely be "used" by the Marleyans.
Only then did she realize the gravity of the situation.
If her father, her only relative, died, then what meaning was there in becoming a soldier and fighting so desperately for all these years?
"With the power of the Founding Titan, there is no way you can escape back to Marley, and I will not let you go."
Gale's expression changed as he continued, "Once the war begins, when other nations discover that Marley has lost the Six Titans, they will undoubtedly launch even fiercer attacks."
"At that time, what will the Marleyans do to your father, your friends, and your acquaintances? Judging by your expression, you undoubtedly understand it better than I do."
"Paradis Island will never return the power of the Titans. You do not have many choices. Honestly, we are compatriots born from the same bloodline."
"You can think carefully about whether cooperating with us is more reliable or placing your trust in the kindness of the Marleyans."
Pieck felt as though the man before her were strangling her; she had never felt so suffocated by someone's words.
"If... I cooperate with you, what would you want to do?" Pieck swallowed with difficulty.
"It's very simple, nothing complicated," Gale whispered into Pieck's ear. "It's simply about reclaiming the power of the War Hammer Titan."
"You only need to discover the true form of the War Hammer Titan, and we will handle the rest."