Yago's words struck directly at Porco's heart. Porco's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to argue back, but no words came out in the end. All he could do was lower his head in silence. One side of his cheek was still red—from Yago's slap.
Seeing Porco lowering his head while being grabbed by the collar, Yago lost the desire to keep talking. Some people just couldn't be reasoned with no matter how much was said. The slave mentality rooted in their hearts wasn't something that could disappear so easily.
Yago released Porco's collar, then turned to look at Pieck. The moment Pieck noticed Yago's gaze, she immediately tensed up and raised both hands.
"I-I-I wasn't doing it for Marley. I... I just wanted my family to live a better life..."
Pieck looked a little frightened, afraid that Yago would suddenly slap her too.
But Yago clearly couldn't bring himself to be harsh toward Pieck-chan. He merely gestured for her to continue eating her porridge. However, after already drinking two large bowls of plain porridge and eating a huge chunk of bread, Pieck was already quite full.
"I... I'm full."
Hearing that, Yago stretched his body. Perhaps because he had just absorbed the Cart Titan's power, the bones throughout his body crackled loudly as he stretched, sounding particularly eerie.
"Since you're full, then let's talk business, Pieck-chan. Do you think I'll let you two go now? After all, back on Paradis Island, you worked very hard for Marley."
Yago smiled as he asked Pieck.
Pieck's heart sank slightly. This was also what worried her the most. From Paradis Island's perspective, she and the others were undoubtedly traitors to the Eldians. The public would never hold a good opinion of traitors.
But since Yago had asked this question, Pieck sensed there might still be room for negotiation. After all, if Yago truly had no intention of sparing her and Porco, there would be no need to waste time chatting with them here. One volley of Thunder Spears would be enough to blow both her and Porco from a hundred pounds into five pounds fit for a coffin.
"Yago-san, just say what you want directly. We understand our current situation very well. Right in the center of Paradis Island, there's no way Porco and I could escape anyway."
Pieck spoke helplessly while secretly observing Yago's expression.
Sure enough, Yago remained calm, as though he had anticipated this all along. Yago understood that Pieck was different from the other Marleyan Warriors. Deep down, she had very little sense of loyalty toward Marley. Family and friends were what she valued most.
In other words, every Marleyan Warrior had their own selfish motives.
Zeke fought for his Eldian euthanasia plan.
Reiner carried his mother's expectations.
Annie bore her father's expectations.
Marcel and Porco fought for their family, while Marcel additionally cared deeply for his younger brother Porco.
Pieck and Bertholdt both fought for their sick fathers.
Aside from Gabi, whose values were somewhat twisted, there really weren't many Titan Warriors genuinely loyal to Marley.
Yago lightly clapped his hands and stared into Pieck's eyes.
"Since that's the case, I'll be direct. We need the power of the Titans. Paradis Island needs the power of the Cart Titan and the Claw Titan. Originally, my plan was to simply strip you of your Titan powers, but now, I want to give you a chance."
The meaning was crystal clear. Yago had laid everything out openly.
He was giving Pieck and Porco a choice—continue being brainless loyalists to Marley, or abandon darkness and join the light.
Porco, who had been keeping his head lowered the whole time, suddenly raised it.
"You want us to betray Marley?"
Yago frowned and pointed at Porco.
"Remember that Eldian blood flows through your veins. Eldians are your people. Betray Marley? So what you're saying is that Marleyans are your people instead? Tell me then, how well have those Marleyan compatriots treated you? Would they allow you to freely walk out of the Liberio internment zone?"
Seeing Yago becoming displeased again, Pieck hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
"Yago-san, that's not what we meant. But... if we're willing to fight for Paradis Island, would you really trust us?"
"I wouldn't."
Yago's reply nearly made Pieck choke to death.
No trust?
Then why were you even trying to persuade them to surrender?
Yago chuckled.
"Pieck-chan, you've both been Marleyan Warriors for years, right? You've probably experienced plenty of battlefields too. Trusting former enemies isn't exactly realistic, is it?"
Pieck asked, "Then what do you mean?"
Yago stood up and waved his hand.
Immediately, two soldiers jumped down from the rooftop of the courtyard, carrying two sets of shackles.
Yago looked at Pieck.
"So I need the two of you to prove your determination."
Pieck stared fearfully at the shackles in the soldiers' hands. Porco saw them too, but neither of them resisted. They allowed the soldiers to tightly bind them.
...
"Why do this? Like you said, wouldn't it be better to just take away their powers and give them to people we trust? After all, they used to be Marleyan Warriors."
On the way back, A-Five finally voiced the confusion in his heart. He couldn't understand why Yago wanted to recruit Pieck and Porco. Wouldn't doing things the way Floch did be better?
Floch had obtained the Colossal Titan's power, and the soldiers of Paradis Island all trusted Floch. Having the Colossal Titan's power in the hands of one of their own made everyone feel reassured.
So why couldn't the same be done with the Cart Titan and the Claw Titan?
Yago shook his head. He understood A-Five's doubts, but he had his own reasoning.
First, as he'd said before, Marleyan Titan Warriors all had their own selfish motives. They weren't nearly as loyal to Marley as the Marleyans imagined. Both Pieck and Porco had personal motivations, and that was precisely why Yago was willing to give them a chance.
If the Titan power had belonged to Gabi, Yago wouldn't have wasted a single extra word.
More importantly, there was the uniqueness of Titan Warriors themselves.
The Cart Titan displayed in Pieck's hands was outrageously powerful. Looking through older Eren's memories, Pieck's Cart Titan was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching among all the Titans. Her repeated transformations during the final battle were simply dazzling.
Only Pieck could bring the otherwise least remarkable of the Nine Titans—the Cart Titan—to such a masterful level.
And that was precisely what Yago valued most about Pieck.
As for Porco, Yago was wary of the Claw Titan power within him.
The Claw Titan wasn't one of the Nine Titans, and Yago had no idea whether the artificial Titan powers created by Ebson could be transferred and inherited like the other Titan powers.
If that bastard Ebson had some hidden method to tamper with the Claw Titan's power upon Porco's death, Yago would have no way of stopping it.
Therefore, even if Porco refused to fight for Paradis Island, Yago still wouldn't kill him.
At least not before defeating Ebson.
"There's not much time left."
Yago no longer knew how many times he had repeated those words.