Walking through the pure white space and watching the memory fragments from Pieck continuously reconstruct before him, Yago almost instantly experienced Pieck's entire life.
What surprised Yago was that he had actually met Pieck once back when he was still in Marley. Not during the time he used the alias Loya, but much earlier, when he was still a child living in Marley.
At that time, Yago hadn't even met Annie yet. After the old man died, Yago was driven out of the wooden hut where he and the old man had depended on each other for survival by a group of thugs. Homeless, Yago could only curl up his thin body in a sheltered alley to keep out the wind.
And it was there that Yago met Pieck.
At the time, Pieck was only about two years older than Yago, but the clever little girl had already learned a few special "survival skills" to fill her stomach.
Carrying several loaves of "borrowed" bread in her arms, little Pieck ran into the shivering Yago in the alley. Pieck's own family life wasn't happy either. Her father, the person who cared about her most, suffered from a serious illness. In order to treat him, Pieck and her family had always lived in poverty, which forced her to mature early and learn a few little "tricks."
"Wanna eat your fill? If you do, follow me."
The young and clueless Yago instinctively followed her because the girl said he could eat his fill.
And just like that, after several days of Pieck's instruction, Yago learned how to "borrow without asking."
Or rather, Pieck was the one who started Yago's very first "borrowing" career.
But after that, Yago never saw Pieck again.
Back then, aside from the armband on his arm, Yago was dirty and grimy from head to toe. You couldn't expect a child living with an old scavenger to be clean. No wonder Pieck had called him a little black ball back then.
"So it was actually her… No wonder..." Yago muttered in surprise.
In truth, even he himself couldn't remember who the girl that took him to "borrow" bread was. Her face in his memory had long since become blurry.
Pieck probably couldn't remember the little black ball she had once helped either.
After all, who would remember an insignificant passerby from over ten years ago?
At this point, Yago finally seemed to understand why, back at Wall Rose, even though he had the chance to kill Pieck, he had gone soft at the critical moment.
It could only be said...
Fate truly was miraculous. (See Chapter 95 for details)
Very soon, the scene before him shattered apart. Countless memory fragments scattered everywhere as a cluster of cyan light condensed before Yago.
Naturally, seven clusters of light floated out from Yago's chest—white, gold, yellow, green, blue, brown, and purple—circling endlessly around him.
Soon, the cyan light belonging to the Cart Titan spun around and slipped into the ranks of the other lights.
...
Reality.
Pieck sat there nervously with her head lowered, but her eyes constantly darted around in secret, searching for a chance to escape.
Unfortunately, the dozens of Thunder Spears above her head had practically sealed off every possible route of escape.
Pieck was certain that the moment she tried to run, she would be blown to pieces by dozens of Thunder Spears in the next second.
Although Yago was sitting beside her, and those soldiers might not dare to fire recklessly, compared to Yago's Titan, Pieck would rather face the Thunder Spears instead.
Pieck secretly lifted her eyelids and glanced at Yago.
At the moment, Yago had his eyes closed, seemingly doing something unknown, while still holding that dagger in his hand.
After a long and agonizing wait for Pieck, Yago finally opened his eyes.
Pieck didn't know if it was just her imagination, but Yago's gaze toward her seemed noticeably gentler.
"Pieck-chan, are you full yet?" Yago suddenly asked with a smiling expression.
Pieck: "Uh... n-not yet..."
Not knowing how to answer, Pieck could only stammer out the truth. She hadn't expected Yago to suddenly speak to her like this.
So Yago naturally poured another bowl of porridge for Pieck and motioned for her to keep eating.
At the same time, he poured a bowl for Porco as well before waving his hand, prompting A-Five to finally remove the blade pressed against Porco's neck.
"Porco, want a bowl too? I personally made this porridge. As the Commander-in-Chief of Paradis Island now, ordinary people don't even get the chance to eat it," Yago said lazily while crossing his legs.
Pieck could still keep her composure and continue drinking her porridge.
But Porco was nowhere near as calm.
He clenched his fists and glared at Yago through gritted teeth before saying hatefully:
"Drop the fake kindness! Since I got caught by you, I accept it. Kill me or torture me however you want, but there's no need to toy with us like this!"
Seeing Porco's bitter and resentful expression, Yago smiled faintly.
"Porco, did I do something unforgivable to you? Why are you looking at me like I killed your entire family?"
At those words, Porco slammed the table and roared:
"That's right! You destroyed our hometown! During that Titan battle that day, do you know how many people died in the chaos?! Why?! They were innocent civilians!"
Hearing Porco's words, Yago's expression instantly turned cold.
He stood up and mercilessly slapped Porco across the face.
Smack!!
The crisp sound startled Pieck so badly that her hand holding the bowl began trembling.
"Innocent? Heh. Sure, they were innocent. Then what about the hundreds of thousands of people on Paradis Island who were devoured by Titans? Weren't they innocent too?!
Your hometown? Your hometown is just that internment zone where the Marleyans raise you like livestock!
And innocent? Which person on Paradis Island wasn't innocent?!
Did they deserve to die in the mouths of the Titans the Marleyans threw onto the island?!
Why?!
You should know that the same blood flows through their veins as yours!
We are your people!
The Marleyans only see you as tools! Tools!!"
Yago grabbed Porco by the collar and shouted back without the slightest politeness.
"And your brother, Marcel, right?"
Yago suddenly brought up Porco's brother.
"Heh. What a pathetic death. Got eaten before he could even transform into the Jaw Titan. Pretty embarrassing, don't you think?
But do you know who caused his death?"
Without giving Porco any chance to respond, Yago continued:
"Why did he die?
Wasn't it because of the greed of the Marleyans?
They coveted the power of the Founder. Coveted the power that could control all Titans.
How ironic.
Marley proudly boasts every day about overthrowing the Titans' rule of the Eldians, yet they themselves can't survive without Titan power.
And you.
Does being Marley's tool feel that good?
If not for Marley's orders, your brother would never have come to Paradis Island.
And he wouldn't have been cluelessly chewed up like dried meat by some completely ordinary Titan.
Your brother died entirely because of Marley's greed.
His life was the price paid for Marley's ambition!
And yet you, idiot that you are, are still proud of being Marley's tool?!"
Swish!
Yago's words instantly drained all color from Porco's face.
Pieck likewise uneasily put down her bowl of porridge.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo