Sailing: I was falsely accused of watching Nami bathe, but I'm blind.

"

After ending his call with Fujitora, Kai immediately began preparations.

He temporarily handed over the relevant affairs of the G-1 branch to his deputy (a subordinate he trusted and who was capable enough), and then led his elite direct task force onto the fast assault ship bound for the rendezvous point with Fujitora's fleet.

A few days later, in the designated sea area, Kai's assault ship successfully rendezvoused with the main naval fleet led by Fujitora.

Kai transferred to Fujitora's flagship—the Amaterasu, a magnificent and heavily armed new large warship of the Navy Headquarters.

When Kai, guided by his adjutant, stepped onto the spacious deck of the Amaterasu and faced Admiral Fujitora, who was already waiting there, a subtle and indescribable atmosphere quietly spread between the two of them.

Reunion.

The two, who were once inseparable like mentor and friend, now both wear the uniforms of naval officers, representing different statuses and powers.

Fujitora-senpai... still the same familiar figure, wearing a purple kimono, wooden clogs, a cane-sword in his hand, and his eyes closed.

But on his shoulders, there was an extra... pure white admiral's cloak, symbolizing the navy's highest combat power and the embodiment of justice! The cloak moved without wind, fluttering in the wind! It added a touch of... mountain-like, steady, and unquestionable majesty to his original gentle humility! Between his brows, there seemed to be a trace of... unresolved sorrow due to the heavy responsibility he shouldered and his worries about the future.

And Kai himself... is no longer the young junior who followed his seniors around, learning in a daze.

He wore a crisp, well-fitting black naval vice admiral uniform (he seemed to prefer dark colors), his posture upright, his face cold and stern. Although his empty eyes were still unable to see, they seemed to contain... a chilling coldness like millennia-old ice and... an unfathomable depth of cunning! The restrained yet extremely dangerous aura emanating from him, honed through countless life-and-death battles and power struggles, even... could subtly... silently contend with Admiral Fujitora's aura, as deep and unfathomable as the ocean!

"...General Fujitora."

"Kay spoke first, bowing slightly to break the silence."

"Hehe, General Jingxin, no need for such formalities."

Fujitora smiled gently, but Kai could sense that the smile seemed...not as pure as before, with a hint of politeness and...distance? "You must be tired from your journey."

"

"Serving the Navy is my duty, and I dare not complain about the hardship."

"Kay responded in the same formulaic language."

The two had a very brief and...succinct conversation on the deck.

They talked about each other's recent situations.

Fujitora simply talked about his feelings about joining the Navy and becoming an admiral, as well as the obstacles he encountered.

Kai, on the other hand, gave a more concise report on the missions he had recently carried out and his experiences in the New World.

Both sides tacitly avoided sensitive topics such as the Marineford War, Kai's past, and their increasingly obvious ideological differences.

They discussed the current state of the navy.

Fujitora expressed his concern that Fleet Admiral Akainu's iron-fisted policies might cause even greater chaos, as well as his deep distress over the bureaucracy and corruption within the Navy.

Kai expressed understanding but believed that in the current chaotic situation, a tough approach might be necessary, and that rebuilding order requires an iron fist.

Chapter 115 The Empress and Nami!

They discussed their upcoming arrival in Dressrosa.

Fujitora once again expressed his strong skepticism about the Shichibukai system without any hesitation, believing that Doflamingo's very existence was a mockery of justice and that he must be thoroughly investigated, and even... stripped of his Shichibukai status! Kai, on the other hand, stated that Doflamingo was indeed guilty of numerous crimes and deserved to be punished, but also reminded his senior that Doflamingo's background was complex and his power immense, and that any action taken against him would have far-reaching consequences, so that he must be dealt with with utmost care and in a more prudent manner to avoid causing greater turmoil.

Although the brief conversation seemed harmonious on the surface, Kai could clearly sense that the invisible rift between him and Fujitora-senpai had not only failed to heal but had instead become even more pronounced.

It seems that they really...can hardly go back to the past.

During the rest of the voyage, Fujitora seemed to...intend to break this delicate stalemate.

He began to take advantage of various opportunities to proactively guide Kai into deeper conversations, especially regarding the core question of "what is justice".

Sometimes, it's on the deck late at night, when the two of them are "gazing" (perceiving) the starry sky and the sea together.

“Kai,” Fujitora suddenly spoke, his tone tinged with emotion, “Although I can’t see, sometimes… I’m actually glad I can’t.”

Because there is just too much ugliness and filth in this world.

So many that it's almost unbearable to look at.

"

He would explain his unique concept of "benevolence" to Kai: "The justice I seek is neither lofty legal provisions nor cold, ruthless killing machines."

All I hope is that I can do my best to protect those innocent civilians who are unarmed and tremble in fear of power and violence.

Even if it only protects one more person, it's still good.

"

He would criticize the Navy for sometimes sacrificing the interests of a few for the sake of the so-called "big picture" and "efficiency," and even condoning the "necessary evil" of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"Using greater evil to fight evil will only make evil stronger in the end."

When will the cycle of violence end? True justice should not be cold calculation, but rather... warm protection.

"

Faced with Fujitora's idealistic and humanitarian ideas, Kai remained silent.

He could not refute the "correctness" of his senior's words.

He also acknowledged that protecting civilians and upholding goodness is a matter of course.

But... what about reality?

He recalled the brutality of the Marineford War, the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard, the pirates who flew like moths to a flame for their "family," and the ordinary marines who also sacrificed 653 lives for "justice"...

He thought of the children on Punk Hazard who were used as experimental subjects, of Caesar's madness, of Vergo's betrayal, of Doflamingo's evil...

He recalled the fearful and accusing gazes he had encountered in the port city while pursuing "Bloody Hand"...

Can this world really be saved through "benevolence" and "protection," as our predecessors said?

“Senior,” Kai finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a kind of vicissitude and coldness that was inconsistent with his age, “I admire your ‘benevolence’.”

However...forgive my bluntness, but on this chaotic sea, overly idealistic benevolence often...only brings greater chaos and sacrifice.

"

He expressed his view: "Order! It is the foundation of everything! Only by establishing an absolute and unchallengeable order can chaos be contained to the greatest extent possible! Only then can...more people be protected!"

"And to establish such order, sometimes... it is necessary to use iron-fisted methods! It is necessary to... eliminate the root causes of chaos! Even if... it requires paying a painful price! Even if... it requires resorting to some... so-called 'necessary evils'!"

"Compared to the wider and more continuous pain and chaos caused by weakness and hesitation... perhaps a temporary and controllable 'evil' is a more 'merciful' choice?"

Kai's words, like a cold blade, clashed fiercely with Fujitora's warm ideals of "benevolence and righteousness"!

On the deck of this flagship heading towards Dressrosa, the master and apprentice engaged in a silent, yet exceptionally intense, clash of ideas regarding the definition and practice of "justice"!

Fujitora tries to use his wisdom and compassion to influence Kai and pull him back from that increasingly cold and dangerous path.

Kai, on the other hand, uses the harsh realities he has experienced and the cold logic he has developed to defend the "necessity" and "rationality" of the path he has chosen.

Neither of them could convince the other.

The ideological differences between them, like a huge chasm, became increasingly clear and increasingly...insurmountable.

This discussion ultimately ended in a heavy and helpless silence.

Kai knew that he might have... disappointed Fujitora-senpai.

But he also knew that he... could no longer go back to where he started.

In this complex and subtle atmosphere, the naval fleet finally arrived at Dressrosa, the "kingdom of love and passion" filled with sunshine, flowers, toys, and lies, sins, and shadows!

As Kai stepped off the warship with Admiral Fujitora and onto the seemingly clean, tidy, and bustling port of Dressrosa, an extremely strange and discordant feeling instantly enveloped his "mind network"!

On the surface, everything here seems so wonderful!

The sun was shining brightly, and the air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of flowers.

The streets are lined with beautiful buildings full of exotic charm.

The people, dressed in brightly colored clothes, beamed with enthusiastic, happy smiles as they sang and danced, as if living in a carefree fairytale world.

The strangest thing is... on the streets, there are actually many... toys that seem to have life, able to move freely and communicate with people?! These toy soldiers, toy bears, toy dolls... coexist harmoniously with the human residents, laughing and living together, creating an extremely fantastical, even... somewhat absurd, scene.

however!

Beneath this carefully crafted facade, brimming with joy and passion, lies a false reality!

Kai's incredibly sharp Observation Haki detected... something completely different!

He could feel it clearly! What permeated the air throughout the kingdom was not true happiness and freedom, but a kind of... omnipresent, deep-seated... oppression! Fear! And... a kind of immense sorrow that had been forcibly forgotten, yet lingered like a nightmare!

He could sense that behind the smiles on the faces of those citizens lay...some unspeakable pain and...a numbness bound by some invisible force?

He could sense that the toys, which coexisted harmoniously with humans, did not exude a true life force, but rather a kind of... aura of "living dead" filled with resentment, unwillingness, and... a cold and desperate aura of imprisoned souls?!

He also sensed that beneath this seemingly peaceful kingdom lay a vast, complex underworld, rife with illicit deals and dark secrets! And... powerful, malevolent auras emanating from the high-ranking officers of the Donquixote Family!

More importantly! He could sense that the entire kingdom was shrouded in an invisible, powerful force filled with distorted "rules" and absolute "control"! The source of this power was undoubtedly the kingdom's "king," the biggest mastermind hidden behind the scenes—Donquixote Doflamingo!

A lie! A colossal lie!

This so-called "Kingdom of Love and Passion" is nothing but... a false paradise built upon countless lies, sins, and imprisoned souls! A... colossal birdcage meticulously woven and controlled by Doflamingo!!!

Kai understood instantly! The darkness hidden in Dressrosa was probably far deeper and far more so than he had previously imagined! And far more so... filthy!

His eyes (and his heart) grew even colder!

It seems... his trip to Dressrosa this time might not just be to carry out a naval mission, not just to observe Fujitora-senpai's actions, but also... to have the opportunity to personally unveil the facade of this false paradise and completely expose the evils hidden in the sunlight?