-Broadcast-
The Rumbling recorded in ancient historical texts had finally been triggered by Eren Yeager. The massive form of Terra—the Founding Titan whose skeletal frame blotted out the sky itself—brought profound shock to everyone watching through the Sky Screen across the world.
Countless hundred-meter giants followed in formation around their progenitor, leaving overlapping craters wherever their feet touched earth. No creature or structure could withstand the march of these Colossal Titans. Once the Rumbling began, nothing could stop it.
Each titan bore a different human face—remnants of their former lives before transformation. Steam rose from their exposed musculature, the heat so intense that even the gaps between titans became death zones. Some desperate souls thought they could survive by hiding in basement shelters, but no underground refuge could withstand a single kick from a hundred-meter giant.
The thunderous sound of the Rumbling originated from the King's Plateau and spread in all directions under Eren's command, designed to obliterate the entire world from every angle. This was the true scope of his world-ending plan.
The last survivors of Dressrosa had gathered before a small church—elderly grandparents, young couples, children, and newborn infants. Despair descended upon them like a suffocating blanket.
A drunk man drained the final drops from his bottle, staring up at the approaching titans with glassy, unfocused eyes. He offered no words, simply standing in place as he waited for the inevitable crushing footfall.
"Our child hasn't even been born yet," a young bride sobbed into her lover's chest. "Why did the world have to become like this?" The man could neither protect his beloved nor live to see their unborn child. The densely packed army of giants approached with inexorable certainty.
Inside the church, clergy knelt before a wooden cross in desperate prayer. The white-haired priest, tears streaming down his weathered face, offered his final words to the divine: "God, please send down your power to save your lambs. Please... respond to us in our darkest hour."
"My child, what a cruel life you've been given," an elderly woman whispered, cradling a crying infant against her chest, hoping somehow the baby might be spared from this disaster.
In their final moments, the survivors displayed the brilliance of human compassion. They passed the babies from hand to hand, lifting them higher, seeking any chance of salvation. Amid the chaos of voices and infant cries, the massive tide of giants finally arrived.
Each colossal face wore an expression like a Buddha—neither joyful nor sorrowful, simply empty. Beneath their feet, all beings were equal without distinction of rank or status. Humans were no different from any other creature—mere insects before forces beyond comprehension. Heaven itself seemed cruel, treating all things as disposable.
The last church in Dressrosa was crushed as easily as stepping on an ant. There was no miracle, no divine intervention, no savior—only the remains of the faithful ground into crimson foam beneath uncaring titan feet. In this world, no one could save anyone else.
Those Colossal Titans that had reached the coastline continued into the ocean, propelled by their own superheated steam. The seawater had no effect on their advance—they moved through the depths as easily as on land, an impossibility that stunned viewers watching through the Sky Screen.
Now it was clear how the Rumbling could reach other islands in future visions. With the speed of steam propulsion, it wouldn't take long to completely devastate the world. Terra truly deserved its classification as an ancient weapon—this was catastrophic news for every living soul.
The ability Terra had activated was global in scope. Over the past five years, anyone who had consumed alcohol mixed with Eren's spinal fluid—regardless of their location—would respond to the Founding Titan's call and transform into a Colossal Titan.
The Holy Land of Mary Geoise, Whole Cake Island, Onigashima, the new Marine Headquarters, Fish-Man Island—all were experiencing simultaneous titan transformations. Each metamorphosis was accompanied by explosions comparable to small nuclear detonations. The unexpected coordinated assault forced every major power to scramble, desperately fighting fires in their own territories.
This dispersal of enemy forces laid the perfect foundation for Eren's Founding Titan to complete its world-ending mission. By the time tens of thousands of Colossal Titans reached their doorsteps, humanity would realize their resistance had come far too late.
Uncle B, the powerful berserker, carried Illya and Bellhill as he fled through the chaos. Despite his warrior's instincts urging him to fight, he prioritized protecting his charges over personal glory. Reaching the port and escaping by sea represented their only hope of survival.
The dark-skinned guardian moved several times faster than ordinary humans, leaping between rooftops with superhuman agility. He didn't dare look back, knowing that any hesitation or pause in their flight would doom all three of them to the advancing colossal horde.
When Bellhill spotted ships on the coastline, she shouted with desperate hope, "Uncle B, look! Marines! They have ships—we're saved!"
The trio rushed toward the Marine ships. The organization that proclaimed justice as its banner had become their lifeline. With so few survivors remaining in Dressrosa, simply staying alive took precedence over everything else.
The landing forces stationed on the shore stared in shock at the billowing clouds of dust and debris in the distance, dominated by the skeletal monster ten thousand meters tall. None of them had witnessed such devastation since joining the military.
Captain Gabi of the Cyclops tribe was the first to recover from the initial shock. "Dressrosa is finished," she observed, her single massive eye tracking the titans' movement. "Where are all these giants heading?" The scene of destruction brought by the Rumbling triggered something in her distant memory—she had witnessed something similar before, though she couldn't quite place when.
The retreat signal sounded from the warship, and the landing troops crowded toward their boats as if granted reprieve from execution. Everyone understood that the faster their ship moved, the greater their chances of survival.
Uncle B brought the two women to the Marines' position. Despite their panicked expressions, Captain Gabi admired their strength and incredible luck in breaking free from the colossal army.
The berserker gently set Illya and Bellhill on the ground. The silver-haired girl immediately approached the female Marine officer with desperate hope.
"Marine sister, our home is gone," Illya pleaded, her red eyes glistening with tears. "Please let us on your boat, please..."
No one could refuse such a heartfelt request from a white-haired child with crimson eyes. Captain Gabi hesitated briefly—while the two females seemed harmless enough, the massive man lurking behind the little girl looked distinctly dangerous.
Noticing the Marine officer's suspicious gaze lingering on Uncle B, Bellhill quickly intervened with an explanation. "Uncle B has some... communication difficulties and can't speak, but he listens to Illya completely. Without his protection, we never would have made it this far."
"That's right!" Illya added urgently. "Uncle B just looks scary and eats a lot, but he's not dangerous at all!" If they couldn't bring her protector aboard, there would be no point in the women escaping either.
"Come aboard together," Captain Gabi decided after careful consideration. "The Marines are committed to protecting civilians, after all."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two Marine battleships erupted with thunderous cannon fire, their massive guns painting the sky with black smoke. This time there was no need for precise targeting—the Colossal Titan formation was so densely packed that firing straight ahead guaranteed hits.
High-explosive artillery shells detonating against the giants proved effective against these carbon-based creatures. A single shell could blow a Colossal Titan apart completely, but the fallen position was immediately filled by the next giant in formation.
After the initial bombardment, the results could only be described as futile. There were simply too many titans—a seemingly endless sea of colossal forms stretching to every horizon.
Despite achieving minimal impact, both Marine battleships continued loading shells for the next barrage. The colossal army drew closer to the coastline with each passing moment, leaving time for only one more bombardment.
Additional Marine ships joined the desperate defense, all guns focused on halting the titan advance. Without direct orders from an Admiral to retreat, no soldier was permitted to abandon their position. Anyone who fled would be court-martialed as a deserter—and even if they survived, their families would face consequences.