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

And... each time, it seems to be... challenging his gradually cooling and hardening heart?

Kai shook his head, suppressing these complex emotions once again.

While Zou's tragedy evokes anger and sympathy, it... has nothing to do with him.

He has more important things to focus on now... regarding Trump.

Chapter 127 A single command! The Four Emperors kneel and sing "Conquer" to Kai!

Because... another, older, and more sensitive secret revealed by the Zou incident began to attract his attention!

Poneglyph!

Kai had seen records in the Navy's top-secret files about this mysterious stone tablet... made by an ancient, enormous kingdom, carved from an indestructible special stone, and recording the historical truth of the "Void Century"!

It is said that only a very few people in the world (such as the scholars of Ohara) can decipher this ancient script! By deciphering these Poneglyphs, finding the four scattered Poneglyphs around the world, and connecting the locations they point to, one can find... the legendary final island—Raftel! That is... the place where the Pirate King Gol D. Roger finally arrived! The place where the legendary treasure "ONE PIECE" is hidden!

And now! According to intelligence (which may be incomplete or inaccurate) obtained by the Navy from the Zou incident:

Zou itself hides a piece of... an extremely important historical record of landmarks!

The reason why Raizo, the ninja from Wano Country whom "Drought" Jack is frantically searching for, is so important is not only because he is a retainer of the Kozuki family, but also because... the Kozuki family of Wano Country is the only family... that possesses the technology to create and decipher the Poneglyphs?! (Although this technology may have been lost.)

What shocked Kai even more was... Nico Robin, the archaeologist in the Straw Hat crew! She was actually... the only known person in the world capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs?!

what does this mean? !

This means... the Straw Hat crew, this group of pirates who seem to be just fooling around and having fun! have actually... obtained... the key to the throne of the "Pirate King" and to uncover the ultimate secret of the world?!

No wonder the World Government is so wary of Nico Robin! They'd do anything to capture or silence her!

No wonder... those Four Emperors who rule the New World value the Poneglyphs so much! (It's said that some of the Four Emperors possess rubbings of the Poneglyphs and are searching for someone who can decipher them!)

A storm raged in Kai's heart!

The Poneglyphs... The Void Century... Laugh Tale... One Piece... ONE PIECE...

These...legendary secrets, powerful enough to overturn the entire history and existing order of the world! And...they're actually...directly and closely connected to the Straw Hat crew, whom he's always tried to distance himself from, even considering them enemies?!

He instinctively felt an extremely strong curiosity about these secrets! He wanted to investigate! He wanted to understand! What exactly happened during that Void Century? What truths was the World Government hiding? And what exactly is ONEPIECE?

But at the same time! He also felt a deep sense of vigilance and a hint of fear regarding these secrets!

He knew these secrets were absolute taboos! Things the World Government would do anything to cover up! Getting too involved would inevitably lead to... annihilation!

He doesn't yet have enough strength and resources to touch these... forbidden areas that could drag the entire world into destruction!

He must...keep his distance! Stay vigilant!

However... the Straw Hat crew, especially Nico Robin, is like a time bomb, making him unable to feel completely at ease.

As long as they remain active on the high seas, as long as Robin continues to decipher the Poneglyphs... then... the upheaval and transformation of the world will be inevitable!

Kai felt that his situation seemed to have become more delicate and dangerous.

His relationship with the Straw Hat crew seems to have... gone beyond just past personal grudges.

More likely... it will involve the future direction of the entire world and... its ultimate fate?!

Just as Kai was preoccupied with the secrets of the Poneglyphs and Laugh Tale, another... equally explosive piece of news came from the Straw Hat crew!

This time, it's about that lecherous chef—Vinsmoke Sanji!

According to intelligence intercepted by the Navy (or leaked through underground channels), Sanji... was actually... forcibly "invited" away by his own family—the infamous North Blue assassin group known for its terrifying technological prowess, the "war experts" Germa 66!

The purpose of "inviting" him away was actually... to arrange a political marriage between him and Charlotte Pudding, the thirty-fifth daughter (?) of the Yonko Big Mom Charlotte Linlin!

The Big Mom Pirates...are going to form a marriage alliance with Germa 66?!

The moment Kai heard the news, he immediately understood the huge conspiracy hidden behind it!

BIGMOM Charlotte Linlin, the sea empress who uses "blood ties" and "marriage" as her main means of expansion! What she has her eye on is not Sanji himself (although he may be a good cook), but rather... the terrifying technological power wielded by the Vinsmoke family behind Sanji... a power capable of changing the very nature of warfare!!!

Germa 66's clone army! Advanced combat suit technology! And various cutting-edge weapons of mass destruction! If these powers were absorbed and utilized by the Big Mom Pirates… how terrifying would her strength become?! Perhaps… it would even directly shatter the existing balance of power among the Four Emperors?!

Sanji... was nothing more than a pathetic pawn and sacrifice used to connect the interests of both sides in this political conspiracy!

Kai didn't like Sanji at all; in fact, he could be said to dislike him.

But deep down, he still felt a sense of unease about this behavior of treating personal happiness and will as political bargaining chips and engaging in cold-blooded transactions.

What made him even more speechless and frustrated was the Straw Hat crew's reaction!

After learning that Sanji had been forcibly taken away and was about to be forced into a political marriage, Straw Hat Luffy... actually... made another decision that he considered extremely foolish and crazy!

He actually... split his forces into two groups?!

Zoro, Usopp, Robin, Franky, and others were sent to Wano Country with the Tontatta tribe and the samurai Raizo (seemingly to prepare for some upcoming plan?).

And he himself! He only brought Nami, Chopper, Brook, and two Mink warriors (Carrot and Pedro), forming a… extremely limited “Sanji Retrieval Team”! They directly… stormed into the territory of another Yonko—BIGMOM Charlotte Linlin! That terrifying kingdom composed of countless dessert islands, known as “Totto Land”! Attempting… to forcibly snatch Sanji back from a Yonko?!

This...this is...madness!!! Utter madness!!!

Kai simply couldn't put into words how she felt at that moment!

Who is Big Mom?! She's a Sea Emperor who reigned supreme in the New World for decades, on par with Kaido, Shanks, and even the former Whitebeard! Her terrifying strength, immense power, and numerous powerful subordinates (Sweepers and their children) are simply beyond the imagination of the current Straw Hat crew!

Luffy! He only brought a few crew members! And dared to barge into the core territory of a Yonko?! To steal a bride?!

This can't be described as "reckless" or "ignorant of death"! This is... suicide!!! It's deliberately throwing your head into Big Mom's gaping maw!!!

Kai even suspected that Luffy... might have suffered too much trauma from Ace's death, causing his brain to completely break down!

He could almost foresee that Luffy's so-called "Sanji Retrieval Operation" would inevitably end in an extremely disastrous failure! Perhaps... the entire army would be wiped out in that sweet yet deadly trap of Whole Cake Island!

Although... Kai couldn't wait to see the Straw Hat crew suffer.

But for some reason... when he thought about Luffy possibly dying at Big Mom's hands, deep down... there seemed to be a... extremely faint, even he himself was unwilling to admit... a feeling of not wanting?

Perhaps... it's because... he still wants to... settle this score himself?

Perhaps... it's because... deep down, he didn't really want to see that guy... who had once brought him a glimmer of light (though it was ultimately extinguished) die so pathetically at the hands of others?

Kai didn't know.

All he knew was that Luffy's decision had once again drawn the world's attention to him and the Big Mom Pirates!

A grand drama... sparked by a "bride kidnapping," pitting the Straw Hat Pirates against the Yonko Big Mom! It's about to unfold... in Totto Land!

Straw Hat Luffy recklessly trespassed into Big Mom's territory, Whole Cake Island, attempting to snatch Sanji back from a political marriage aimed at annexing Germa 66's technological power!

This news not only shocked and left Kai speechless, but also... attracted great attention from the Navy Headquarters!

Upon learning this news, Fleet Admiral Akainu, while scoffing at Luffy's suicidal act, immediately realized... that this was an extremely sensitive and dangerous signal!

The Straw Hat crew, those troublemakers, have actually... provoked another Yonko?! And in such a... almost warlike way?!

This will inevitably lead to... a fierce conflict between the Big Mom Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates! It might even... ignite a massive war on par with the Four Emperors?!

Although the Navy is happy to see pirates killing each other, especially forces of the Straw Hat Pirates and Big Mom's caliber.

However! If the conflict gets out of control and its impact expands, it could very well... disrupt the fragile balance of the New World, bringing even greater trouble and pressure to the Navy! It might even... allow other forces (such as Kaido? Blackbeard? The Revolutionary Army?) to take advantage of the situation!

Therefore, the Navy Headquarters must... closely monitor the situation! Gather intelligence as much as possible! Assess the risks! And, if necessary... be prepared to intervene (although the possibility is slim, the Navy would never want to easily go to war with the Four Emperors)!

And the best candidate to carry out this extremely important but also extremely dangerous surveillance mission... seems to have fallen to Kai again?

After all, Kai has just been promoted to Vice Admiral and is incredibly powerful, especially his Observation Haki, which is practically tailor-made for large-scale, long-range intelligence gathering and surveillance missions! Moreover, he "knows enough" about the Straw Hat crew (at least that's what the Navy high command thinks), so having him in charge of monitoring them might allow for a more accurate assessment of Luffy and his crew's movements and intentions.

Of course, when Fleet Admiral Akainu issued this order, he also attached an extremely stern warning:

"Admiral Shizuka! Your mission is simply to conduct covert surveillance in the waters surrounding Whole Cake Island! Gather all intelligence regarding the movements of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates! You are absolutely not allowed to... intervene in any conflict! Even more so... you are not allowed to... have direct contact with either side! Understand?!"

Akainu's tone was full of unquestionable authority and warning.

He was clearly worried that Kai, this "unpredictable factor," might do something impulsive that could disrupt the Navy's plans or even provoke a direct conflict with the Four Emperors because of his hatred for the Straw Hat crew (the Navy's high command generally believed that Kai had a personal grudge against the Straw Hat crew).

"Understood."

"Kay responded calmly."

Kai didn't have much resistance to this task.

Although this meant he would have to turn his attention back to the people he wanted to stay away from, being able to "observe" another Yonko up close—BIGMOM Charlotte Linlin—and her large and unique family-style pirate crew built on blood ties and marriage alliances... was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for him to understand the top powers in the New World!

Moreover... he genuinely wanted to "see" just how much chaos Straw Hat Luffy would create in Whole Cake Island this time. Would his so-called "protagonist halo" still be effective in the face of a true, veteran Emperor of the Sea?

And so, Kai once again led his elite task force (perhaps equipped with the Navy's most advanced stealth reconnaissance ships and long-range listening Den Den Mushi?), like a ghost, silently sailing towards that... the core territory of the Yonko Big Mom—Totto Land, composed of countless sweet and tempting yet deadly "dessert islands"!

He will be like the calmest and most objective bystander, a ghost hidden in the shadows, silently "watching" this... absurd and dangerous drama that was triggered by a lecherous chef, where the Straw Hat Boy confronts the Sea Queen!

Kai's fleet, like a ghost that has merged into the sea, silently lurked in the outer waters of Totto Land.

He strictly followed Fleet Admiral Akainu's orders and did not enter Big Mom's core territory. Instead, he used his extremely wide-ranging Observation Haki and the various advanced reconnaissance equipment provided by the Navy to silently monitor this sweet yet dangerous sea area like a master spy.

Soon, he sensed that... the entire kingdom seemed to be shrouded in... a festive yet tense atmosphere!

Countless uniquely shaped islands made of various desserts (cakes, cookies, chocolates, etc.) are brightly lit and bustling with activity! All sorts of strange life forms (such as Homies endowed with souls) sing and dance joyfully! The air is filled with an intensely sweet aroma!

All of this points to an important event—the Big Mom Pirates' grand "tea party" that is about to be held!

Kai knew this was more than just a simple banquet.

It is also an important occasion for BIGMOM, the sea empress, to demonstrate her power to the world (especially the underworld), consolidate her rule, and conduct exchanges of interests and political marriages with other dark emperors!

The highlight of this tea party was undoubtedly... the wedding of Sanji, the third son of the Vinsmoke family, and Pudding, the thirty-fifth daughter of the Charlotte family! This marriage symbolizes that Big Mom is about to bring Germa 66's powerful technological strength into her possession! Its strategic significance is self-evident!

Kai could clearly sense that powerful and evil "emperors" from all over the world (mainly the underworld) were arriving in the Land of Treasures in their respective luxurious chariots, preparing to attend this "feast".