"It's me! It's me! I'm the one who's looking to die!"
Feeling like he was about to fall off the edge, the bald man's attitude shifted in an instant. He started begging desperately, "I was way out of line! I shouldn't have messed with you!"
This wasn't just about drowning. The real fear was that the river's current would drag him straight into titan territory.
The rivers here flow outward from the capital at the center, toward the outer districts. So if he fell in, unless he was lucky enough to get back to shore in time, he'd be carried right past Wall Maria—into the land of giants.
And once you're outside the walls... you're just meat.
Everyone nearby was stunned, now fully realizing how terrifyingly strong the white-haired young man really was.
"That strength is insane! That guy's gotta weigh, what, 180 pounds? And he just lifted him with one hand like it was nothing!"
"He looked totally relaxed too. Bet that fool never expected to mess with a kid and end up dealing with that monster."
"I've never seen someone that young with fully white hair... Maybe it's some kind of condition?"
"Too bad no matter how strong we humans are, we still can't beat the titans..."
People couldn't stop talking, visibly shaken and impressed.
Eren and Mikasa were once again awed by Byakuya's overwhelming strength.
"Mikasa… Your strength isn't that crazy, right?" Eren whispered.
Mikasa shook her head.
Even when her power first awakened, it wasn't anywhere near what Byakuya just showed.
Seeing the man begging pathetically, Byakuya casually tossed him back onto the deck like trash.
He hadn't planned to kill the guy anyway—if he had, that knee strike earlier would've been fatal. His physical strength surpassed that of most normal humans by a ridiculous margin.
Still calm and expressionless, Byakuya didn't even glance at the man again. Instead, his cold gaze turned to the rest of the crowd.
Everyone flinched.
Especially the ones who'd just been yelling at Eren. Goosebumps rippled across their skin—they were terrified they'd be next.
"His name is Eren Yeager. Son of Dr. Yeager. I imagine quite a few of you were saved by the doctor back in the day. Is this how you repay the man who saved your lives?"
Byakuya's tone was calm but sharp like a blade.
No one could respond. Silence fell like a hammer.
He was right. If not for Dr. Yeager's serum during the outbreak years ago, countless people would've died—not just in Shiganshina, but in districts all across the walls. The man had been a savior.
If they'd known earlier that the kid shouting about joining the Survey Corps was his son, none of that would've happened…
Shame washed over them. Not a single person dared to speak.
Byakuya said no more. He returned to his spot and sat down, as if none of it had happened.
Thanks to that brief explosion of drama, the heavy atmosphere on the ship finally lightened a little.
At that moment, Eren seemed to make a decision. He walked over to Byakuya and asked earnestly,
"Can you teach me? I wanna get strong like you!"
"Uh…"
Byakuya looked genuinely troubled.
It wasn't that he didn't want to teach Eren—it's that he couldn't. His power wasn't something that could just be taught.
His strength came from too many sources—his system, his dual kamui, his hybrid physiology… not one of them was something Eren could replicate.
If there was anything he could give Eren, it might be a quinque.
With that, slaying titans would be easier than slicing melons.
He also had access to RC cell enhancers, but those were risky. Giving that stuff to Eren could go either way, and he wasn't willing to gamble with the kid's life.
Technically, Byakuya had plenty of quinques lying around—he was the Chairman now, after all. The old CCG's vaults were full of them. He could hand out S-rated weapons like candy if he wanted.
But Eren was still too young. Not just anyone could wield a quinque—it demanded strength, speed, control, and mental resilience.
That's why, even in the ghoul world, you had to at least be a Second-Class Investigator before qualifying to use one.
"I can't teach you anything just yet" Byakuya finally said. "But once you're older… I'll give you a powerful weapon."
It was a promise.
In this world, things had changed. Because of Byakuya's arrival, Eren would never gain the Founding Titan or Attack Titan powers.
So to make up for it, he figured he'd arm Eren with a quinque instead.
From a raw power standpoint, a high-tier quinque could outperform even a Titan Shifter. It didn't have the same unique abilities, but for slicing giants apart? Way more efficient.
If he gave Eren the Owl quinque the series could basically end right there. The only question would be how fast.
"A powerful weapon?" Eren asked, wide-eyed. "Can you tell me what it is?"
"Not yet," Byakuya replied. "Just know it's strong. Strong enough to kill titans without breaking a sweat."
Kill titans… easily?!
Eren was stunned.
His mind buzzed with excitement. What kind of weapon could possibly do that?!