The ship slowly sailed away from the ruins of Shiganshina District. The soft rumbling of waves offered a bit of calm amidst the chaos that had just unfolded. Eren sat quietly in the corner of the boat, lost in thought about what had happened. Tension still filled his chest—anger, frustration, and helplessness from watching the Titans destroy everything.
But amidst all the chaos, one thing echoed in his mind: Katsura, with all his oddness, had saved both his mother Carla and him. Though Eren couldn't fully understand Katsura's actions, he knew that without the strange man's intervention, they'd likely have died under the rubble.
Eren bit his lip, struggling to express the difficult emotions brewing inside him. "Oi... Katsura..." His voice wavered, conflicted. How could he thank someone so unpredictable? But the truth was, they'd been saved.
Katsura, standing at the deck of the ship, soaked and holding a large sack over his shoulder, seemed rather pleased with himself. Oddly, though, he was still without pants. Eren, who had been ready to express his gratitude, was suddenly taken aback.
"Oi... why aren't you wearing any pants?!" Eren couldn't contain his frustration, his voice a mix of confusion and anger.
Katsura turned toward Eren with a wide grin, as if everything was completely normal. "Eren, pants are just an illusion created by society to restrain true freedom!" he declared, flipping his wet hair dramatically. "I, Katsura, have transcended that boundary. I don't need pants to achieve freedom!"
Eren, who had intended to thank him, could only stare in bewilderment. "WHAT?! Pants have nothing to do with freedom! You just saved us, and now you're talking about pants?!"
Mikasa, busy tending to Carla's injured leg, quickly turned away, embarrassed at the sight of Katsura without pants. Her face flushed a bit, and she tried to avoid looking at him. "Katsura, can you please stop talking about pants? It's... very uncomfortable," she said in her usual calm but clearly awkward tone.
Carla, lying down with her leg bandaged, sighed deeply and looked over at Hannes. "Hannes... please, find him some pants. A half-naked man on this boat is not something everyone wants to see. And besides, well... Katsura's lower half... isn't exactly small."
Mikasa's face turned even redder, trying harder to look away as she continued tending to Carla. "You should really put some pants on."
Hannes, who had been grumbling since the beginning, finally shrugged with a heavy sigh. "Fine, fine..." Walking over with little enthusiasm, he tossed a pair of old, ragged pants in Katsura's direction. "Here, wear this and cover yourself up. But don't think I'm happy about it."
Katsura accepted the pants, but instead of thanking him, he looked at them with displeasure. "Hannes, what kind of pants are these? They're way too loose at the waist, and the color... so unfitting for a noble samurai! How am I supposed to fight for freedom in pants like these?"
Hannes just shook his head, tired of the nonsense. "Pants are for warmth, not freedom, you weirdo!"
Eren, who had initially wanted to thank Katsura for saving them, could no longer hold back his frustration and anger. "Oi! This isn't about fashion or freedom! You didn't even thank Hannes for the pants! You're complaining about pants when we all almost died! What's wrong with you?!"
Mikasa, though still embarrassed, spoke more seriously. "Katsura, now that you've got your pants on, there's something else I need to ask. What's inside that sack you've been carrying?"
Armin, ever curious, added, "Yeah, you said it was treasure, right? If it's really treasure, why isn't there any proper clothing inside? You could have changed into something better than... that."
Katsura, feeling cornered, knew he couldn't reveal that the sack was full of stolen gold from the mayor's house. How could he admit that he, a "noble" samurai, had plundered gold?
Quickly, Katsura raised his hand dramatically, trying to divert their attention. "Oh, Mikasa, Armin... you don't understand. What's in this sack is more than just clothing! It holds a great secret that could change the fate of humanity! If I were to open it now, the world might never be the same again!"
Mikasa, unimpressed by Katsura's dramatics, stared at him sharply. "Then why don't you open it? What could be more important than having proper clothes right now?"
Katsura, now desperate, needed an escape. And as usual, his way out was by provoking others. He decided that making Mikasa angry was his best way to flee.
With a sly grin, Katsura moved closer and whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Ah, Mikasa... so stubborn. You know, maybe Eren doesn't like you because you're too rough and rigid. Guys don't like girls like that."
Mikasa froze for a moment, her gaze starting to harden. "What did you say?"
Katsura pressed on, continuing to provoke. "Yeah, Mikasa, you're too harsh. Look at Eren, he always keeps his distance, right? You're too tough, no wonder he's not interested. Men don't find women like you attractive."
Eren, overhearing this, shouted angrily, "Oi! Don't drag me into this!"
But Katsura's provocation had worked. Mikasa, who usually stayed calm, now showed signs of anger. "Katsura... you've crossed the line."
Seeing his plan was working, Katsura smiled wider, realizing it was his cue to flee. "Hahaha! I guess it's time for me to go!"
In a dramatic motion, Katsura leapt back, performing parkour across the ship, climbing the mast, and within seconds, he was standing on the roof of the boat.
"HAHAHA! Behold! This is Captain Katsura's ship!" he declared proudly, thumping his chest. "You're all just my crew on this mission to bring true freedom to humanity!"
Mikasa, holding back her anger, could only sigh and shake her head. "He's completely insane."
Armin, still bewildered, said, "How can someone act like that after swimming pantless and nearly dying?"
Eren, still frustrated from being dragged into the argument earlier, shouted from below, "CAPTAIN KATSURA'S SHIP?! You're not even part of the Survey Corps! Why do you always make things worse?!"
Up on the ship's roof, Katsura stood tall, looking out over the horizon with pride. "Prepare yourselves, crew! Captain Katsura will lead us on a grand adventure! Freedom awaits!"
The other refugees on the boat could only watch him in confusion, while Hannes sighed deeply, hoping all the chaos would soon come to an end.