Paradis Island, near the underground shipyard, at the helipad.
Gale looked up; the sun was about to set, and the white clouds, like flames, constantly changed color as time passed.
A refreshing sea breeze brushed against the face of a thoughtful Gale. The long murmur of the waves echoed in his ears, and seagulls flew in formation over the sea, their reflections shining on the surface.
He looked at his watch; according to the telegram from twenty-six hours ago, the Marley Operation, led by Erwin, had officially begun.
Twenty-five hours earlier, he had received a second telegram; the aircraft carrying the inheritor of the War Hammer Titan and Eren, among others, had taken off. Since then, he had been waiting there.
Beside the helipad, a twenty-meter-tall Titan stood motionless, serving as an impregnable watchtower.
Its entire body was wrapped in flashing lights, and it waved a striking red flag in both hands.
Eren could locate this place using the power of the Founding Titan; they had communicated before departing.
If everything went well, Hange's aircraft would arrive at this helipad tonight.
From the beginning of the operation until now, Gale had put aside everything he was doing and simply waited, waiting for the moment when those people he knew better than anyone else would return to the island.
Many years had passed since he decided to take the initiative and change the future.
Gale had never imagined he would come this far and manage to prevent many more people from dying in a desperate struggle against the Titans. But now, looking at everything from the present, impossible things could be achieved with a good plan in capable hands.
If he had good people fighting by his side, Gale was now much more confident in winning the battle against his enemies around the world.
The sun set, night fell, and the strips of light wrapped around the Titan shone brightly, sparkling like stars in the darkness.
The area around the helipad was illuminated by powerful spotlights whose beams rose from the ground and projected circular points of light onto the clouds, visible even from a great distance.
The crewed aircraft traveled at approximately 180 kilometers per hour. The distance from Marley to Paradis Island was nearly 6,000 kilometers, and according to calculations, it would take Hange around thirty hours to reach it. The aircraft had been specifically designed for aerial refueling.
Its fuel was also the island's specialty: Iceburst Stone.
Solid Iceburst Stone was poured into the aircraft's fuel tank, where it naturally liquefied due to the heat of the internal combustion engine, flowing into the engine and burning.
With reserve fuel, it could fly continuously for more than forty hours, more than enough time to travel from Marley to Paradis Island.
Gale waited silently until he noticed sounds in the air.
Finally, the sound of spinning propellers and the roar of the aircraft filled the sky.
"Activate the alarm. Have the personnel prepare to receive our soldiers," Gale ordered one of his bodyguards.
The soldier nodded and ran off.
Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!
According to protocol, all personnel and medical teams prepared to receive their soldiers.
In the best-case scenario, it would only be a mobilization without any real purpose, but in the worst-case scenario, they had to be ready to respond to critical situations.
"Here they come," Gale murmured from the side, his heart racing.
The aircraft's wheels touched the smooth concrete runway, and with the flexing of the landing gear, it reduced its speed.
Inside the cockpit, Hange pulled the control lever and let out a long sigh of relief.
They had finally arrived safely at Paradis Island. Back there, she felt much more at ease.
This was her home, the place where she was born and raised. Those guarding the airport were her compatriots and comrades.
The thirty-hour flight had left her exhausted. She had not slept during the journey, her mind constantly on alert.
This was the first time she had undertaken such a long-distance flight; in the past, she had only conducted short test flights, the longest being one thousand kilometers from the north to the south of Paradis Island.
However, this time the distance was more than six times greater, which inevitably increased the pressure on her.
After all, the aircraft was not only carrying her; she carried the fate of Paradis Island.
But there had also been advantages; she saw beautiful landscapes she had never seen before.
She gazed at the twinkling stars in the sky and witnessed columns of water cascading upward, stirred by a tornado at sea.
It was an image Hange would never forget: long black columns supporting the arch of a dark storm, their torn summits allowing the moon's silver light to pass through.
She circled those enormous roaring black columns, following the silver light descending diagonally from the sea, and continued flying for four hours until she emerged from the floating temple.
The aircraft came to a stop, and personnel approached to help Hange and the others disembark.
Hange's palms were sweaty. Eren and Mikasa talked about the storm they had encountered during the flight.
It was their first time flying, a novel and unique experience.
Mikasa remembered how Eren had leaned against the small round window and waved at her.
They curled up together, listening to each other's breathing while observing the magnificent and fantastical storm beneath the moon. Only after they had left did Mikasa realize she had not even had time to feel afraid.
She only felt happy, with Eren by her side, sharing her joy.
She wanted to protect that happiness and joy at all costs.
"Welcome home."
Gale approached the group and embraced those he knew.
At times he had wished to be a soldier, to truly feel that he had the power to save his loved ones, but until now that was impossible.
Gale was not a soldier, and despite being trained by Levi, his value to Paradis was immeasurable.
All the equipment and advanced technologies were his own inventions, knowledge he had brought from his dreams into reality through relationships with historical figures.
The inheritor of the War Hammer Titan was taken away by personnel, while Pieck's father was transferred to the infirmary in the underground shipyard.
The only sad person was Dina; she looked extremely haggard, like shattered glass.
Gale had heard from Hange about the events of the Marley Operation and learned that Zeke had decided to leave his mother behind.
Zeke only had five years left to live.
Dina fell to her knees on the ground, pleading for Gale's help.
"I only have eight years left. Please, help me find my son."
Dina's only wish was to reunite with Zeke.
She felt guilty toward her son, believing that her and Grisha's upbringing had caused Zeke to live in such agony, even turning him into a weapon of Marley.
As an incapable mother, she wanted to make amends for her mistakes and protect her son: a pure maternal love, without ulterior motives or expectations.
Gale helped Dina to her feet and promised that Paradis Island would do everything possible to help her find her son and would notify her immediately if there was any news.
Afterward, Eren and the others were sent away to rest, leaving only Hange behind.
"Are you really going to help her?" Levi asked, doubting Gale's words.
Gale smiled and said, "Of course not, but her connection to Eren is very important to us. However, if she shows any signs of acting on her own, Eren has permission to kill her."
"Understood." Levi walked away, showing a faint smile.
Although Gale had adopted the Titans as his primary tool of evolution, he had always wished not to depend on them, and that was why he fought every day so that one day they could move forward and leave the Titans in history.
And for that, he was willing to do anything.
As for those who were his enemies, Gale had always been decisive.
"Gale, what if I inherited the War Hammer Titan?"
After finding herself alone with Gale, Hange asked seriously.
"You are the treasure of Paradis Island; I know that better than anyone on this island. Without you, our Survey Corps would probably still be trapped within the walls, completely ignorant and deceived by the nobles."
Hange had witnessed too many miracles along the way.
From the first weapons factory, the crystal greenhouse, and the Gatling gun for Titans, to the later Special Titans, power plants, shipyards, and aircraft factories,
Hange had watched Gale grow from a ragged child into someone taller than herself.
It was Gale who had brought Paradis Island to where it stood today.
She spoke from the heart, feeling that it would be better for her to inherit the War Hammer Titan; she felt that Gale had to outlive her.
"Captain Hange, you asked me that before, and I gave you an answer." Gale looked at the palm of his hand. "At that time, I also answered your other questions, such as where I learned all this knowledge."
"Yes, you did." Hange nodded with a serious expression. "I remember you said that, together with your father, before he was murdered, you learned a great deal of knowledge from him."
"Knowledge that I erased in the fire that burned down my father's office," Gale said with an unchanged expression. "Weapons, railways, steam trains, power plants, aircraft... All that knowledge is in my mind, and no matter how much I try to pass it on, ordinary people need at least thirty years to understand what I know now."
After saying that, Gale smiled with a cold look.
"The weapon I am going to create will surpass all others in history. I will be known as the destroyer of worlds. A villain whom everyone will seek to kill."
"We won't allow that!" Hange placed a hand on her chest and shouted.
"Of course you won't, but as the smartest woman I have ever known on this island, you adapt incredibly quickly, and now you control the flow of goods arriving on the island. You are just as important as I am, so leave this to me."
"I am ready to dedicate my heart. The time has come to make a small sacrifice so that our country may rise with strength against our enemies."
Gale did not want Hange to stand between him and his objective, which was why he mentioned something no soldier could ignore.
That a citizen of Paradis should dedicate their heart, just as many others had done throughout history.
Hange looked at Gale, who was determined to die, and nodded.
"Now I understand."