Chapter 101: Hello Ymir (Part 1)

"I said I wouldn't get involved, but here I am. Without Zeke's support, Annie and the others are probably in trouble," Daniel Davis muttered as he disembarked at the port of Marley, hiding on a landing ship that had just arrived.

Marley is currently the largest country in the world by land area. Despite being at a disadvantage after the war against the Middle Eastern Union, it hasn't lost much territory. In addition to its mainland, it also controls numerous islands. Thus, when Daniel stepped off the ship, no one paid much attention to him.

In this era, there's no such thing as ID cards. Moreover, Daniel had disguised himself, making it almost impossible for anyone to recognize he wasn't from Marley.

"First, I need to find a place to stay." It didn't take long for Daniel to find a three-story, mid-range hotel. He had taken some money from the soldiers on the warship, and this hotel conveniently faced the main street in front of the Liberio internment zone.

"Looks a bit militaristic," Daniel thought, shaking his head slightly as he read the latest newspaper in his hotel room. As a native of China, he had little regard for a country that actively sought to invade others.

Indeed, Marley is currently at a disadvantage, but it was Marley who initially sought to unify the world using the power of Titans, much like the former Eldian Empire.

"Once I acquire the blood of all nine Titans, I'll be ready to explore the dimensional space of this world." As night fell, Daniel used a Disillusionment Charm to sneak out of the hotel, intending to gather information on the remaining two Titans.

After leaving the hotel, he headed straight for the military headquarters. During his daytime wanderings, he had already identified his target. It would be too cumbersome and luck-dependent to gather information from low-ranking soldiers, but the high-ranking officials would surely have the intel he needed.

"Damn it, what are Zeke and the others doing? And Reiner, where have they gone? Have they betrayed us?" Despite the late hour, the military headquarters was still brightly lit.

Compared to Paradis Island, Marley's technology is much more advanced. Electricity had already been invented. In a small conference room, five officers with various ranks were gathered, discussing the latest battle reports.

"I don't believe Zeke and the others would do that. Perhaps something has changed on the island."

"We can no longer rely on the power of the Titans. As you can see, the Middle Eastern Union now has weapons capable of countering Titans. Right now, only Pieck is holding the front, and she isn't enough. We must abandon the Titans and accelerate our technological advancements."

"We've discussed this many times. We don't have the luxury of time for research. We must quickly seize the Titans on the island."

"But the front lines are on the verge of collapse. If we fail to capture Fort Slava, we won't have the opportunity to negotiate with them. We must take the fort to buy more time for negotiations."

"Then order Zeke and the others to return. After taking Fort Slava, we can proceed with the plan for the island."

After a long debate, the senior officers finally decided to recall the Titans from the island. Although Marley's technology surpasses that of Paradis Island, they lack long-distance communication technology, so a warship would have to be sent to bring Zeke and the others back.

"This complicates things." Daniel, eavesdropping outside, couldn't help but feel frustrated after hearing their discussion.

Daniel knew the current location of the war between Marley and the Middle Eastern Union because Marley had been propagating it. Fort Slava is an island situated between Marley and the Middle Eastern Union, holding a crucial strategic position.

Whichever side controls the island gains a significant advantage in the war. Since both countries are far from each other, a direct attack from their respective mainlands is impractical. But by holding the island, they can use it as a supply base.

Initially, this island belonged to Marley. However, after the four warriors were sent to Paradis Island, the Middle Eastern Union launched a surprise attack and seized it.

Even when Marley deployed Zeke, they couldn't retake the fort, and Zeke was severely injured due to new anti-Titan weapons like railway guns and naval artillery. This was something Marley had not anticipated. As a result, once Zeke recovered, Marley sent him to Paradis Island.

Zeke's Beast Titan is incredibly powerful, and some in the military didn't want him to waste his strength on a futile siege. At the same time, others in the military feared Zeke and preferred not to send him to the island. Ultimately, Zeke was dispatched because Marley was short on Titans. After sending four Titans to Paradis Island, Marley's immediate strength plummeted, which encouraged the Middle Eastern Union to attack.

With only the Beast Titan, Cart Titan, and Warhammer Titan left, Marley's options were limited. The Cart Titan's combat power was minimal, making it a poor choice for the island, and the Warhammer Titan could not be easily deployed. Hence, Zeke was the only option.

In the original timeline, Marley would eventually win this battle. Zeke, Reiner, and the others would return from the island, help win the war, and bring back Ymir, the Jaw Titan.

However, due to Daniel's intervention, Zeke is now in his custody. The warship has been destroyed, and the fate of the three Titans on the island remains uncertain.

"General Calvi, let's start with him." After the military meeting ended and the officers dispersed, Daniel followed the commander and used the Imperius Curse to control him.

"What? Is this for real?" From General Calvi's confession, Daniel learned a shocking revelation: although Marley appeared to be controlled by Marleyans, the actual rulers were Eldians.

This news would be unbelievable to most. The very people who had long oppressed and persecuted Eldians were, in fact, fellow Eldians. 

The Tybur family, who control the Warhammer Titan, are Eldians from one of the nine Titan families of the former Eldian Empire. They were the ones who orchestrated the internal conflict among the nine Titans and eventually seized control of all the intelligent Titans except for the Founding Titan.

Just as they were about to secure the power of the Founding Titan, an unexpected event occurred. The 145th King Fritz, due to his personal beliefs, fled and took all the Colossal Titans with him, leaving the Tybur family at a loss. According to their plan, obtaining the Founding Titan's power would have made their family the new royal lineage. Even though technology was progressing, Titans still held immense power. With so many Colossal Titans, not even today's technology could stand against them, let alone the technology of a hundred years ago.

King Fritz's escape was a severe blow to the Tybur family's plans. Despite having other intelligent Titans, they lacked manpower, giving the Middle Eastern Union time to develop their technology.

Ultimately, the Tybur family went underground, controlling Marley from the shadows while outwardly presenting themselves as heroes who ended the Eldian Empire's rule. While other Eldians faced persecution, the Tybur family enjoyed wealth and privilege.

Moreover, the oppression and persecution of Eldians were orchestrated by the Tybur family. The lifespan of a Titan is too short to allow a single family to control all the Titans. Thus, they came up with the idea of internment zones and brainwashing.

Though their plan seemed sound, controlling the Titans proved difficult, and not all Eldians were brainwashed. One candidate for the Attack Titan disappeared during the selection process.

"If this secret gets out, how will the Marleyans react? They've been ruled all this time by the very Eldians they despise." Daniel took several deep breaths to calm himself. The actions of the Tybur family infuriated him, making him want to annihilate them all.

"So Marley is essentially a continuation of the Eldian Empire. No wonder they are so expansionist." After some thought, Daniel decided not to kill General Calvi. Instead, he erased his recent memories.

The combination of the Imperius Curse and the Memory Charm is simply unbeatable.

Today, the Tybur family continues to control Marley from the shadows, but their lineage is dwindling. Even the current family head has few descendants, and most are women.

Daniel now understood why Historia needed to produce more royal heirs. The short lifespan of Titans makes it hard to pass on their power without enough people.

As the head of the military, General Calvi had to be part of the Tybur family, or he wouldn't have reached such a high position. Perhaps due to Marley's complex situation, his attitude towards ordinary Eldians was relatively mild. However, even he wasn't privy to all details about the Warhammer Titan's abilities.

"Willy Tybur." After leaving Calvi, Daniel headed to the luxurious estate of the Tybur family, whose location he had learned from the general.

"I won't kill you just yet." Using the Imperius Curse, Daniel quickly took control of the Tybur family's estate and interrogated Willy Tybur and his sister to uncover the Warhammer Titan's powers.

The Warhammer Titan can manipulate the earth to create weapons. Given the inherent strength of Titans, the ability to wield weapons makes them even more formidable. Through his interrogation, Daniel also learned about the Tybur family's plans.

Although the plan to retake the Founding Titan seemed to have originated from Zeke, the Tybur family was also highly interested. They rely on Titan power to control Marley, but as technology advances, Titans are becoming weaker. The Tybur family is keen on enhancing the Titans' power and possibly eliminating the technological threats to them.

Initially, Daniel intended to kill the Tybur family, as he had no sympathy for them after learning about their actions. However, he decided to spare them for now.

The

 Tybur family is quite formidable and deeply knowledgeable about Titans. They led the research on Titan enhancement serum, which was eventually abandoned because only the Ackerman family could tolerate it.

"Finally, I have the blood of all nine Titans." After erasing the Tybur family's memories, Daniel flew to the battlefield on his hoverboard and located Pieck, the Cart Titan. This Titan is rumored to be controlled by a female. The Cart Titan can maintain its transformed state for an extended period, reportedly up to two months, unlike other Titans who can only sustain it for a limited time.

This prolonged transformation is likely due to the Cart Titan's lower combat strength. Previously, it was primarily used for reconnaissance. However, with modern weaponry, the Cart Titan now has some combat capability.

Daniel wasted no time extracting the Cart Titan's spinal fluid and blood before heading to a deserted island to begin his secluded research and training.

The portal is crucial to him. If this world's inhabitants didn't pose much of a threat to him, he wouldn't have done so much before starting his training. He would have focused on mastering the portal first and then dealt with other matters.

"Have you made up your mind?" While training and researching, Daniel didn't forget about Zeke. He had told him about the Tybur family as soon as he settled on the deserted island. Zeke had been in a daze for two days, utterly dispirited.

"Can you really solve the Titan problem?" Zeke finally spoke, his eyes fixed intently on Daniel.

"I told you, I can't guarantee it. But we can give it a try, provided you cooperate." During his research and training, Daniel had made significant progress. He could now open portals and had also made strides in studying the blood and spinal fluid of the nine Titans. He could produce a serum similar to the one that enhanced Levi and Mikasa.

Having concluded his research on blood and spinal fluid, Daniel shifted his focus to the massive bodies of the Titans. His observations revealed some anomalies in their structure, prompting him to ask Zeke for a transformation demonstration.

Under other circumstances, Daniel wouldn't have had a solution for this, but now he had the power of the Ope Ope no Mi fruit.

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