Zeke's solidified Thunder Spear directly blasted Levi away, rendering him unconscious, while his own consciousness blurred and returned to the past.
Back then, Zeke was just a child nestled in his father Grisha's arms, confined within Marley's Rehben civilian internment camp.
Under Grisha's teachings, Zeke yearned to escape the walls of Rehben, but the world outside didn't seem as wonderful as imagined.
Marley's racial animosity was deeply ingrained. They despised those from the internment camps like trash, even throwing filth at them. The Marleyans believed these devils should be exterminated, and this was the outside world.
Such sharp social contradictions were deeply etched into young Zeke's heart. From then on, Zeke believed he had to change this absurd world.
Later, at Grisha's request, Zeke participated in the Warrior Candidate training. This was Marley's endeavor to select successors for the current Beast Titan's tenure, as their term was drawing to a close.
Although this training boasted many exceptional children, the current Beast Titan, Kuchewa, immediately took a liking to the least promising candidate among them, which was Zeke.
The other children, though young, desperately strove to become Marleyan warriors and earn the title of honorary Marleyans. However, Zeke displayed none of that fighting spirit. After a day of training, Zeke had very little time to spend with his parents.
Grisha and Dina would entrust Zeke to his grandparents every night. His grandfather couldn't understand why Grisha and Dina went out every night, leaving Zeke behind. He thought Grisha's constant absence would make Zeke very lonely.
However, Grisha and Dina believed that one day Zeke would understand them.
Because Zeke consistently ranked last in training, the training officer advised him to quit. The officer stated that those unwilling to commit should leave, as Marley needed people determined to dedicate everything to their homeland.
Zeke was dejectedly sent home by the training officer. On his way, he encountered Mr. Kuchewa playing catch. Kuchewa invited Zeke to join him, as he was tired of throwing the ball against the wall.
The two quickly learned about each other while playing catch. Zeke also noticed Mr. Kuchewa's red armband.
Kuchewa openly declared that he was the renowned Marleyan warrior they spoke of. Since his Titan abilities were largely ineffective in combat, he spent his time playing ball.
He was also a scholar who studied Titans. Kuchewa felt Zeke had immense talent in throwing, which restored the dejected Zeke's confidence.
Through many days of interaction, Zeke learned Kuchewa's purpose in becoming a warrior: to thoroughly research and decipher the mystery of the Titans. The Nine Titans had existed for 2000 years, a miracle that was still difficult to comprehend.
Kuchewa believed that an unseen pathway must exist to continuously supply Titan bodies to the inheritors.
If the legend were true, it was said to have begun when Ymir Fritz encountered something. Thus, Mr. Kuchewa wanted to know what truly happened 2000 years ago.
For this, Kuchewa was willing to shorten his own life to explore the memories of the Titans. Mr. Kuchewa's ambition inspired Zeke's admiration. However, happy days were always brief. Zeke inadvertently overheard news that the Marleyan authorities had learned of his father Grisha's Eldian Restorationist movement.
This news struck Zeke like a bolt from the blue.
Zeke wanted to persuade his parents to cease their Restorationist activities, but he was met with their furious rage. Helpless, Zeke could only hide in a corner and cry alone, a scene that Mr. Kuchewa happened to notice.
Upon learning of Zeke's predicament, Mr. Kuchewa could only wear a troubled expression. If this continued, Zeke would definitely be implicated and sent away.
To protect Zeke's life, Mr. Kuchewa suggested that Zeke personally expose his parents' actions and pledge allegiance to Marley. This way, he and his grandparents could be saved.
With Mr. Kuchewa's help, Zeke personally identified his parents. Looking at their shocked and uncomprehending faces, Zeke for the first time thought that his parents only saw him as a tool for restoration. Only Mr. Kuchewa truly cared for him.
Under Mr. Kuchewa's guidance, Zeke grew rapidly. Mr. Kuchewa provided the fatherly love Zeke had been missing, and Zeke had already come to regard Mr. Kuchewa as a father.
According to Mr. Kuchewa's latest research, Zeke also learned that the Founding Titan's power could not only alter memories but, more remarkably, could change the physical structure of Eldians.
Upon hearing this, Zeke proposed for the first time: could the Founding Titan's power be used to strip the Eldian people of their reproductive ability? This way, within about 100 years, Titans would completely disappear from the world, and no more Eldians would suffer.
Hearing this, Mr. Kuchewa was moved. Kuchewa had hidden his identity, married a Marleyan, and had a child. However, the truth eventually came out. After his wife learned Kuchewa was of demon descent, she took their child and committed suicide.
His true reason for becoming a warrior was merely to find a spectacular way to commit suicide. However, during these 13 years, he met Zeke.
Kuchewa found playing catch with Zeke incredibly joyful and fully endorsed Zeke's proposal.
Hearing this, Zeke firmly declared that he would inherit the Beast Titan, reclaim their heritage, and liberate the world from the fear of Titans and the suffering of all Eldians.
Mr. Kuchewa couldn't help but proudly exclaim at Zeke's growth.
Later, Kuchewa, using Titan memories, also found a way to break the vow of non-aggression. This method existed precisely because of Zeke's presence.
Perhaps if a Titan with royal blood came into contact with the Founding Titan's holder, it could activate the Founding Titan's ability. However, the person who could use the Founding Titan's power would not be Zeke; the decision would lie with the holder. Simply put, Zeke was the key to activating the Founding Titan, so it could be entrusted to someone trustworthy who believed in the euthanasia plan.
Mr. Kuchewa believed Zeke would find such a trustworthy person, as he would always watch over Zeke.
Later, Zeke learned from Reiner and Bertolt that Eren was manipulating Titans. Zeke immediately understood that Grisha had likely used the missing Attack Titan to come to Paradis Island, killed the King within the walls, and passed it to his son Eren.
Later, Eren came into contact with his mother Dina, who had become a Pure Titan, and at that moment, the coordinate of the Founding Titan was activated.
Zeke then resolved to save his brother Eren, who had been misguided by his father Grisha.
Thus, to reunite with his brother, Zeke orchestrated a series of events.
Eventually, Eren chose to trust Zeke and came to Marley.
Zeke marveled that Eren was becoming increasingly like his father Grisha. At the same time, he thanked his brother Eren for responding to him.
Eren, four years ago, by touching Historia, had activated Grisha's memories. From those memories, Eren learned the entire truth, and consequently chose to believe in Zeke's euthanasia plan. If there were no longer any Eldians in this world, then no one would suffer. Not being born into this world was the greatest salvation.
Eren declared that he would personally end the 2000-year history of Titans, and that day, he would absolutely not stop.
The scene returned to the present. After an unknown period, Zeke, with his consciousness blurred, seemed to see a girl carrying a wooden bucket. Who could she be?