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

He used the complex terrain inside the castle to outmaneuver the two men.

His keen senses allowed him to easily dodge the poisoned flying needles, and the rapid attacks of the dual-wielders were full of flaws in the face of his "mind's eye".

After a brief but intense exchange, Kai managed to knock down both bounty hunters, albeit at a slight cost (a graze on his arm from a poison needle, leaving him somewhat numb).

He didn't kill them; he simply knocked them unconscious and confiscated their weapons.

He was not a bloodthirsty person, and he understood that in the world of bounty hunters, sometimes it's better to leave a way out so you can meet again in the future (although it may also invite retaliation).

After dealing with his rival, Kai then began to deal with the seriously injured pirate officer.

Facing a target that was already exhausted, Kai captured it without much effort.

This experience made Kai realize the brutal competition in the bounty hunter profession.

Here, you not only have to face ruthless pirates, but also be wary of open and covert attacks from your own kind.

To survive in this world, one needs not only great strength, but also sufficient caution and wisdom.

He packed up his spoils (the target's token and some Berries looted from the bounty hunters), and without lingering in the castle, quickly left this place of trouble.

His figure disappeared once again into the vast night, continuing his lonely and dangerous hunter's life.

As Kai successfully completed bounty missions time and time again, especially after defeating several pirates with hefty bounties and considerable fame in certain areas, the reputation of "Blind Hunter Jingxin" began to ripple like a stone thrown into water, spreading across some islands and the underworld in the first half of the Grand Line.

People no longer saw him merely as a blind newcomer who had gotten lucky, but began to truly acknowledge his existence.

The rumors about him have become more specific and awe-inspiring.

Some say he's as fast as a ghost, able to take a head before the enemy can even react.

Some say that his perception is supernatural, that he can foresee all attacks, and that he can see through people's hearts.

Some say that he is ruthless and precise in his actions, never hesitant or indecisive, and that almost no prey he targets can escape.

Some say that he is elusive, like a solitary ghost, only appearing when hunting down notorious pirates, never killing innocents indiscriminately, and seemingly having his own set of rules.

"Blindness," "efficiency," "precision," "mystery," and "coldness"—these labels have gradually become closely associated with the code name "Meditation."

His existence brought an invisible pressure and fear to the pirates who were committing evil deeds in the first half of the Grand Line.

As his reputation grew, some astute information brokers and mission intermediaries began to actively contact Kai.

They no longer looked down on or doubted him as before, but instead regarded him as a truly capable and promising "high-quality client".

They would use various clandestine channels to pass on information about higher-level, more lucrative bounty missions to Kai.

The targets of these missions are often pirate crew officers with bounties exceeding ten million Berries, or even captains with bounties in the tens of millions who possess Devil Fruit abilities.

The difficulty and risks of the mission are naturally far greater than before.

Despite these "opportunities" being offered to him, Kai was not blinded by the high bounty.

Having gone through so much, he has become much more cautious and composed.

He knew that the greater the reward, the greater the risk often came with it.

Moreover, he chose to become a bounty hunter not just for money, but also to hone himself and practice the "benevolence and righteousness" in his heart.

Therefore, Kai carefully screens every task that comes his way.

He uses his powerful Observation Haki to sense the aura and emotions of the information transmitter, and to judge whether the other party is reliable or has any ulterior motives (such as using someone else to do his dirty work or deliberately providing false information).

He will try his best to verify the target's information.

He not only sought to understand the crimes described in the bounty posters, but also tried to learn about the targets' true actions through other channels (such as the intelligence network he later established).

He has a clear bottom line—he only targets those who are truly wicked, oppress the people, and whose crimes are unforgivable.

He usually chooses to ignore “ordinary” pirates who are merely pursuing freedom and have not committed heinous crimes, or those who have bounties for other reasons.

He will also carefully assess the strength of the target and the risks of the mission.

He will not blindly challenge opponents who are far beyond his capabilities.

Every time he accepts a mission, he makes sure he has at least a 60-70% chance of success, or that the mission itself has special training value for him.

Kai's cautious and principled approach makes him stand out from the rest of the bounty hunter community.

But precisely because of this, although he was famous, he did not make too many enemies like some hunters who would do anything for money.

Of course, the remaining forces of the pirates he hunted down naturally regarded him as a thorn in their side, but for Kai, these were the risks he had to bear for choosing this path.

He is like a scalpel that walks alone in the dark, precise and calm, only drawn when necessary to precisely remove those "tumors" that poison the world.

His reputation continues to grow and spread amidst awe and mystery.

Throughout his career as a bounty hunter, Kai has come to realize more and more the importance of intelligence.

Whether it's tracking targets, understanding the strength of adversaries, assessing mission risks, gaining insight into the world situation, finding opportunities to become stronger, or even gathering clues about the Straw Hat crew, accurate and timely intelligence support is indispensable.

Relying solely on scattered information gleaned from bounty hunter guilds, bars, or casual roadside conversations is far from sufficient, and is often unreliable and inefficient.

He realized that he had to establish his own relatively reliable intelligence channels.

Of course, given his current status as a lone wolf and his limited resources, it is unrealistic for him to establish an intelligence network as tight and efficient as that of some major powers.

But he can start from the ground up, using his existing advantages to weave a loose but effective intelligence network around himself.

He began to consciously use the bounties he earned to invest in intelligence sources that seemed "worth it".

He frequents certain well-informed underground bars.

In these places, he did more than just drink (he rarely got drunk and always remained vigilant), but rather "listened" and "perceived".

He would have limited contact with bartenders or regulars who seemed to be well-informed.

Sometimes, he would use a not-too-small amount of Pele to purchase specific, less sensitive intelligence.

Sometimes, he would use his abilities to help the tavern owner solve minor problems (such as chasing away troublesome drunkards or finding the mole), in exchange for the owner's trust and some free information.

Chapter 53 The Empress Becomes a Dog Beneath Her! Her Eyes Are Full of Seduction!

He also began to contact some information dealers who operated in the black market and seemed relatively "reliable" (or more focused on the exchange of benefits rather than fraud).

Dealing with these people requires extra caution.

Kai uses Observation Haki to carefully discern the truthfulness of the other party's words, sense their emotional fluctuations, and judge their credibility.

He never completely trusts any single intelligence broker, but instead obtains information from multiple sources and cross-references and verifies it.

He even established some strange connections with some petty thieves or hoodlums who had been "taught a lesson" by him but later reformed and lived in the lower rungs of society.

These people are often very knowledgeable about the dark corners of the city and the dynamics of the lower classes.

Kai would occasionally give them small favors (such as a few Baileys or help them with minor troubles), and in return, they would provide Kai with information about the whereabouts of certain people, gang activities, or certain secret transactions.

Kai's formidable strength and his "only punishing villains" approach instilled in these lower-class individuals a sense of awe and a willingness to cooperate with him to a certain extent.

In this process, Kaina's keen perception played a significant role.

He can easily "hear" the hesitation, lies, or deliberate concealment in the other party's words, and can "sense" the authenticity of the other party's emotions (whether it is sincere cooperation or ulterior motives). This allows him to effectively avoid risks and filter out relatively reliable sources of information when dealing with these all sorts of people.

Gradually, a loose intelligence network centered on Kai and maintained through money, personal connections, and intimidation began to take shape.

Although the network is still fragile and has limited coverage, it has already provided Kai with more and more accurate information support than before, giving him a stronger ability to survive and a clearer vision in this unpredictable world.

He also began to consciously gather information about the second half of the Grand Line—the New World—through this initial intelligence network, as well as information about the activities of those top-tier powerhouses, especially the Four Emperors and the Marine Admirals.

He knew that those places were the true stage for the strong, and also the challenges he would have to face in the future.

As for news about the Straw Hat crew, although he was keeping an eye on it, he seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally placing it in a secondary position.

Perhaps, deep down, he is not fully prepared to face that past and the more complex emotions it may bring.

As Kai hunts increasingly powerful bounty targets, the battles he faces become more and more difficult.

He began to encounter some truly powerful individuals—pirate captains with bounties approaching or even exceeding 100 million Berries, former naval officers who had fought countless battles and mastered some of the techniques of the Six Powers, and even some individuals with bizarre Devil Fruit abilities and extremely cunning fighting styles.

In his battles against these formidable enemies, Kai, with his unparalleled Observation Haki and increasingly refined combat skills, was mostly able to emerge victorious, but his victories became increasingly perilous, and the price he paid grew ever higher.

He was seriously injured several times, and on several occasions he almost fell to his opponent.

These arduous battles made Kai acutely aware of a bottleneck in his current strength—that is, in terms of pure physical or swordsmanship "hard power," he still had a significant gap compared to those truly top-tier experts.

Fujitora's guidance laid a solid foundation for him, and he pioneered the integration of Observation Haki into combat, forming a unique style.

This allows him to gain an advantage over most opponents by relying on his perception and skills.

However, this advantage can be weakened or even negated in certain extreme situations.

For example, when the opponent's speed is so fast that even his Observation Haki can only catch a blurry afterimage and cannot make accurate predictions, he can hardly rely on dodging to avoid the attack and can only passively block. Moreover, his Armament Haki, which he has not yet fully mastered, is far from sufficient in terms of defensive power.

For example, when the opponent has a wide-ranging, indiscriminate, or extremely powerful attack method (such as certain Devil Fruit abilities with amazing destructive power, or a powerful artillery barrage), although his Observation Haki can sense the danger, the limited space for dodging and insufficient absolute defense make it difficult for him to fully cope, and he can easily fall into a passive and defensive situation.

Furthermore, when he encounters opponents who are equally proficient in Observation Haki and can even anticipate his intentions, his greatest advantage is negated, and the battle becomes a pure contest of skill and strength, which is precisely his relative weakness.

Kai realized that relying solely on Observation Haki would not be enough for him to truly stand among the strong.

He must further improve his "hard skills"—whether it's the explosiveness and defense of his physical skills, or the power and technique of his swordsmanship, he needs to reach a new level.

But how can we improve?

Should we continue honing our skills in battle as before? While this is effective, it's inefficient and too risky; a single mistake could lead to utter ruin.

Looking for more advanced techniques? There are countless powerful sword styles and martial arts manuals circulating on the Grand Line, but most of them require rigorous systematic training from childhood or special talent requirements, which may not be suitable for him, a self-taught and blind person.