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

"Hey! Old man! You dare to sell this rotten apple? Are you trying to rip us off?" A burly man picked up an apple and smashed it on the ground, juice splattering everywhere.

"That's right! Looking at your poor appearance, you probably didn't pay protection money to our 'Golden Dice,' did you? Don't you know the rules?" Another guy with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face said as he began to brazenly stuff the fruit on the stall into his own pocket.

The old vendor was terrified, his face pale. He hunched over and repeatedly bowed and begged for mercy: "Gentlemen, please have mercy! It's not easy for this old man to run a small business! If you like this... if you like this fruit, please... please take it. Don't smash it, please don't smash it..." His voice trembled with obvious fear.

However, these bullies were clearly not satisfied with this.

The burly man at the head of the group grabbed the old vendor by the collar, shoved him to the ground, and said viciously, "Just fruit isn't enough! Hand over all the money you earned today! Otherwise, I'll tear down your lousy stall!"

The old vendor fell to the ground, groaning in pain, and the few pitiful copper coins he had in his pocket scattered.

The bullies chuckled and stepped forward, kicking away the old vendor's hand as he tried to pick up the money, and keeping the few coins for themselves.

One of the guys seemed to think that wasn't enough, and kicked the old vendor who was curled up on the ground a few more times.

Passersby witnessed this scene, but most simply shook their heads or hurried away, with no one daring to step forward and stop it.

The few people who showed reluctance lowered their heads silently after seeing the bullies' fierce eyes.

Clearly, these thugs were hired by the casino and were used to running rampant in this area; ordinary people wouldn't dare to mess with them.

Kai stood not far away, clearly "perceiving" all of this.

He "heard" the old vendor's voice filled with fear and pleading, and felt the helplessness and pain emanating from him.

He "heard" the bullies' arrogant and malicious words, and felt their violent aura of bullying the weak and showing no mercy.

He also "senses" the silence and indifference of the passersby around him, who dared not speak out against their anger.

This scene, like a needle prick, deeply pierced a sensitive corner of Kai's heart.

Injustice! Utter injustice!

How similar this was to his own experience! Both were instances of the weak being wantonly bullied by the strong, both were instances of indifference from those around them, and both were instances of the cruel reality that power determines everything! He remembered the helplessness and despair he felt when he was slandered and abandoned, and he remembered those malicious and prejudiced eyes.

A strong, instinctive indignation, like long-suppressed volcanic lava, surged and churned within him.

Chapter 28 He's blind too?!

Perhaps it is his own experience that makes him particularly sensitive to this kind of injustice.

Perhaps it was that experience of struggling to survive in the wilderness that made him more empathetic to the suffering of the weak.

Or perhaps, in some mysterious way, he recalled a teaching about "benevolence and righteousness" that may have existed (even if he had not yet met Fujitora, this simple understanding of justice may have stemmed from his early personality or experiences).

Whatever the reason, Kai knew he couldn't ignore what was happening before him.

Even though he knew perfectly well that these thugs were from the casino and had powerful backing, and that taking action rashly might bring him huge trouble or even endanger his life.

Even though he knew that his strength might not be enough to fight against the entire casino.

However, he still couldn't convince himself to stand idly by.

Just as the thugs were still punching and kicking the old vendor on the ground, preparing to smash his fruit stand to pieces, a cold voice suddenly rang out:

"stop.

"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness, causing the thugs who were committing violence to pause and instinctively look in the direction of the sound.

A young man, dressed in slightly worn clothes and not particularly tall, but with a straight back, was walking slowly toward them.

The young man's face was expressionless, and his seemingly empty eyes (which the bullies considered blind) calmly "looked" at them. However, the aura emanating from him was like a drawn blade, cold and dangerous.

It was Kai.

He stood up.

"Oh ho? Where did this blind man come from, daring to meddle in our 'Golden Dice' business?" The burly man at the head of the group was taken aback when he saw Kai, then a more cruel smile appeared on his face. "Kid, I think you're tired of living! Get out of my way! Or I'll take care of you too!"

The other thugs also grinned and surrounded him, clearly not taking the seemingly disabled young man seriously.

In their eyes, this was just another fool who was courting death and trying to stand out.

Kai didn't say anything more.

He knew that words were ineffective against this kind of person.

He simply lowered his body slightly, adopting that unique fighting stance honed through countless life-and-death battles.

"You're asking for it!" the burly man roared, charging forward with his fists swung.

Kai didn't take the punch head-on; instead, his body slid to the side like a willow catkin, narrowly avoiding the powerful blow.

At the same time, he changed his footwork and instantly appeared in front of another bully who was about to flank him from the side.

Before the bully could react, he felt a sharp gust of wind strike his jaw, and then everything went black as he fell backward to the ground, unconscious.

Kai's punches are lightning fast, with a sharp angle, and they strike vital points!

"Kill him!" The remaining thugs were shocked and enraged to see their companion taken down in an instant. They pulled out their weapons—short sticks, chains, and even daggers—and attacked Kai.

Kai immediately found himself surrounded and attacked.

Although these casino thugs are not top-tier in terms of skill, they have some practical experience from years of fighting and brawling, and their large numbers make them quite threatening when working together.

Kai pushed his senses to the limit, as if dancing on the edge of a knife.

He used his agile and unpredictable movements to dodge and maneuver constantly in the confined space.

He would sometimes use the obstacles of the nearby stalls to block attacks, and sometimes take advantage of the gaps in his opponent's attacks to launch a quick counterattack.

His every attack was exceptionally precise, striking joints, targeting vulnerable areas, or aiming directly at the face, always causing maximum damage.

The clanging of weapons, the thuds of fists and feet hitting flesh, and the roars and screams of the bullies filled the air.

Kai, like a phantom in the night, stubbornly held on amidst the siege.

He knocked down another man wielding an iron chain, but he paid the price—his back was lashed hard by a short stick, burning with pain; and a shallow cut was made on his arm by a dagger.

Outnumbered, their disadvantages became increasingly apparent.

Kai's stamina was rapidly depleting, and the wounds on his body were constantly increasing.

His breathing became somewhat rapid, and his dodging movements were not as smooth as before.

He could feel that he was about to give up.

"Grab him! Break his legs!" The burly leader, seeing Kai gradually weakening, grinned menacingly and ordered his two remaining companions to launch an even fiercer attack.

The three men pounced on Kai like wolves, blocking all of his escape routes.

He was about to be overwhelmed by sticks and fists...

At this critical moment when everything was in jeopardy!

suddenly!

An invisible, heavy, and powerful force descended without warning!

The three thugs who were besieging Kai, along with the guy who had been knocked to the ground by Kai and was struggling to get up, seemed to be slammed to the ground by an invisible giant hand! Their bodies suddenly sank, their knees involuntarily bent, and then with a few "thumps," they all lay face down on the ground with their limbs outstretched, as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on them, making it extremely difficult to even lift a finger! The weapons in their hands could not withstand this sudden and enormous pressure and clattered to the ground.

"Uh...ah...what's going on?"

"I...I can't move..."

"So...so heavy..."

The bullies let out horrified and painful groans, their faces filled with confusion and fear.

They had no idea what was happening; they only felt an irresistible, suffocating, terrifying force pressing them firmly to the ground.

Kai also felt this sudden, almost tangible pressure.

But the force seemed to deliberately avoid him, only pressing the ground around him down slightly, without directly affecting him.

He stopped in shock, enduring the pain in his body, and immediately spread his senses to find the source of this suffocatingly powerful force.

His "mind network" quickly captured the target.

Outside the crowd of onlookers, a tall man had quietly appeared.

The man was dressed in a simple purple kimono, wearing wooden clogs, and holding a weapon that looked like a cane-sword.

Most notably, his eyes were tightly closed and his face was expressionless, but Kai could clearly sense that the other's "gaze" was fixed on him and the bullies lying on the ground.

This man's aura was as steady as a towering mountain and as profound as the boundless sea.

He simply stood there quietly, as if he had become the center of the entire world. The faint but powerful aura he exuded even made Kai feel a sense of awe and insignificance from the depths of his soul.

Wow, this person is incredibly strong! Terrifyingly strong!

A storm raged in Kai's heart.

He had never sensed such a powerful being before. This power was even more terrifying than the occasional bursts of Zoro's full power he had felt on the ship! Moreover, what struck Kai as both strange and strangely familiar was that he could clearly perceive that this powerful man, like himself, had no visual focus—he was also blind!

Chapter 29 Blindness is not a flaw, but rather a means to see through people's hearts!

Just as Kai was in shock, the man with the cane and sword slowly walked to the center of the arena and stood in front of the bullies who were unable to move due to the gravity.

He looked down at the men struggling in pain on the ground, his voice calm and gentle, yet carrying an undeniable authority, and slowly began to speak:

“To bully the weak with the many, to seize people’s property, and to harm the innocent.”

Is this what you call 'rules'?

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly, including the bullies lying on the ground.