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

Reason told him that these people were his enemies, the source of his suffering, and objects he had to overcome and settle scores with.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but recall those moments when they fought side by side and shared laughter.

Although Luffy is impulsive, his sincerity and protection of his comrades have also moved him.

Although Nami is greedy, her wisdom and sense of responsibility at crucial moments earned him his trust.

The other companions also have their own endearing and admirable qualities...

These conflicting emotions, like two venomous snakes, were tearing and wrestling wildly in his heart, causing him waves of irritability and pain.

He's unwilling to face it! At least not now!

He deliberately narrowed his sensory range, no longer actively trying to capture those familiar scents.

The routes he chose in the rain also intentionally or unintentionally avoided directions where he might encounter the Straw Hat crew.

He refocused all his attention on his target—Mr. X.

He told himself that the past was the past, and he had more important things to do now.

Hunting targets, earning bounties, improving strength, finding his own path... that's what he should be focusing on now.

As for the Straw Hat crew... let's wait until he becomes strong enough, until he can truly face that past with equanimity, before we consider how to "settle accounts".

However, the trajectory of fate is sometimes so wondrous and ironic.

Even if Kai tries to avoid it, certain unexpected moments will still quietly arrive as if destined.

Just as Kai had essentially pinpointed Mr. X's hideout (a secret stronghold near the Rainlands) and was preparing to launch the final capture operation, Albana, the capital of Alabasta, had already descended into complete war and chaos.

The fierce battle between the rebels and the King's army, the Baroque Works' conspiracy, and the Straw Hat crew's intervention turned the entire city into a huge battlefield.

Although Kai was near the rainy area, his powerful Observation Haki still allowed him to vaguely sense the soaring battle aura and chaotic energy coming from the direction of the capital.

He also knew that his target, Mr. X, seemed to have received orders and was preparing to secretly sneak back to Albana to participate in the final operation.

Kai decided he couldn't wait any longer and had to intercept Mr. X before he left!

Following Mr. X's increasingly clear aura, he tracked him all the way, gradually approaching the center of the chaos—Albania.

Chapter 55: The Chase Down the Straw Hat Pirates!!! The Battle of Revenge!!!

Albana was then in the midst of the most intense street fighting.

Shells exploded intermittently throughout the city, houses collapsed, smoke and dust filled the air, and crowds of people ran and shouted, soldiers and pirates engaged in fierce firefights everywhere.

Kai's target, Mr. X, was very cunning. He used the chaos in the city as cover, constantly changing his route in an attempt to shake off Kai's pursuit and rendezvous with the main force of Baroque Works as soon as possible.

Kai, however, was like a persistent leech, relentlessly tracking his scent as he swiftly weaved and pursued him through the chaotic streets and buildings.

Just as he was chasing Mr. X's aura and about to rush through a dusty street corner, he sensed that another aura was rushing towards him at an extremely fast speed from another direction!

That aura... was filled with anxiety, panic, and a hint of comical timidity... Was it Usopp?!

Kai's heart skipped a beat!

Almost at the same time, he also sensed that familiar aura had sensed him as well (or perhaps it was just a rapidly moving, unfamiliar aura), and was slightly startled by this sudden encounter.

The two brushed past each other almost in milliseconds at that street corner shrouded in smoke and chaos!

Kai could even "smell" the familiar gunpowder and sweat on Usopp, and "hear" his rapid breathing from running.

As for Usopp, perhaps because he was in the midst of a tense escape or chase, or perhaps because of Kai's current attire (possibly clothing more suitable for the desert, with a face mask to protect against sand and conceal his identity), or perhaps because Kai's demeanor had changed drastically compared to the past (becoming colder, more composed, and more dangerous), coupled with the chaos of the surrounding environment and the interference of smoke and dust, he didn't immediately recognize this "stranger" passing by as their former partner, Kai! He probably just mistook Kai for another passerby or enemy running through the flames of war.

Kai didn't look (he couldn't see it at all), nor did he say anything.

In that brief moment of intertwined breaths, countless complex emotions flashed through his mind like lightning—shock, anger, pain, resentment, and even a trace of… a faint nostalgia that he himself was unwilling to admit.

But he ultimately suppressed all his emotions.

He can't stop! His goal is ahead! He can't let the past distract him!

Almost as soon as they passed each other, Kai immediately changed direction without stopping, even speeding up to continue chasing after Mr. X in the direction he had fled! His figure quickly disappeared into the billowing dust and chaotic crowd.

Only the long-nosed sniper, who might still be somewhat confused but was quickly drawn to the crisis facing 607, remained, continuing his run.

A brief, almost negligible brush past.

There were no words, no eye contact, and they might not even have been clearly remembered by the other party.

But that fleeting sense of familiarity was like a boulder thrown into Kai's heart lake, creating ripples far more intense than he had imagined.

He thought he was cold and hard enough, but it turned out that the past, those people, were still like a nightmare, lurking in the deepest part of his soul, ready to jump out at any moment and disturb his mind.

He could only... run faster, leaving those inappropriate emotions far behind.

That brief and unexpected brush with Usopp was like a pebble thrown into Kai's heart lake; it stirred up ripples but did not stop him from pursuing.

He forcibly suppressed the complex emotions surging within him and refocused all his attention on the increasingly approaching, unique aura belonging to Mr. X.

Mr. X had clearly noticed the relentless pursuers behind him. He abandoned his plan to head to downtown Albana and instead fled towards a more remote and secluded area on the city's outskirts—an ancient, abandoned ruin half-buried in the yellow sand.

This place was once a palace complex of an ancient dynasty in Alabasta. Now, only ruins and deep underground passages remain. The complex terrain makes it an excellent hiding and ambush location.

Kai followed without hesitation.

He knew that this was very likely the final battlefield Mr. X had chosen.

When Kai stepped into the eerily quiet abandoned ruins, Mr. X's presence suddenly vanished.

It didn't really disappear, but became extremely faint and elusive, as if it had blended into its surroundings.

Kai immediately stopped and activated his "Mind Network" to its limit, vigilantly sensing his surroundings.

He knew that this was a sophisticated technique for concealing one's presence, combined with the use of a Devil Fruit ability (Kai had basically determined that the other party was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, most likely an animal that was good at stealth and concealment).

The opponent clearly intended to use this complex terrain to carry out an ambush.

The interior of the ruins was dimly lit, with broken stone pillars and collapsed walls creating countless shadows and blind spots.

The air was filled with dust and the smell of decaying time.

Kai held his breath, like the most patient hunter, cautiously venturing deeper and deeper.

His every step landed silently on the sand, without making a sound.

His perception was like mercury seeping into every corner, capturing the slightest air currents, energy fluctuations, and... that faint, almost imperceptible killing intent hidden beneath the silence!

Suddenly! Kai's body rolled violently to the left!

Almost simultaneously, the ground where he had just stood suddenly exploded open! A claw as hard as steel, gleaming with a cold light, burst forth from beneath the sand with a piercing shriek that tore through the air! If Kai had reacted even half a beat slower, he would probably have been disemboweled by this sudden attack!

The attack missed, and the claw quickly retracted into the ground, disappearing without a trace once more.

Kai rolled off the ground and got up, his face showing no panic, only a colder focus.

He knew that his opponent had already made their move! Moreover, this ability to lurk underground was extremely troublesome!

He stopped and moved quickly, using the remaining stone pillars and walls in the ruins as cover, while concentrating his senses on the ground to detect the faint vibrations and aura of his opponent moving through the sand.

"Hehehe... Pretty quick reaction, blind man."

A voice, sharp and mocking like sandpaper, came from all directions, as if countless voices were speaking simultaneously, interfering with Kai's auditory judgment. "But how long can you hide in this hunting ground that belongs to me?"

Kai ignored the other party's provocation.

He knew this was a tactic the other party was using to try and distract him.

He was simply more focused on perception.

Suddenly, he sensed an extremely subtle energy fluctuation coming from behind a broken stone pillar to his right rear!

Without hesitation, Kai swung his sword backhand, and the "Tranquility" staff-sword in his hand transformed into a black lightning bolt, slashing fiercely at the stone pillar!

clang!

A piercing clang of metal clashing rang out! Kai's blade seemed to have struck an incredibly hard piece of metal! The immense recoil sent a shiver through his arm.

The stone pillar shattered under Kai's strike and the burst of internal power! Amidst the flying debris, a figure was revealed.

It was a muscular man dressed in a black bodysuit. His arms had completely transformed into those of a pangolin, covered in thick keratin and with sharp claws at the tips! It was with these claws that he had just managed to block Kai's slash! A sinister smile played on his lips, and his eyes gleamed with bloodlust.

A Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Pangolin Form (or an original concept with a similar ability)! No wonder it can hide underground and possesses such amazing defensive capabilities!

"Found you!" Kai shouted, and without pausing, he pushed off with his feet and charged towards Mr. X again!

"Well done!" Mr. X grinned maliciously, equally unwilling to be outdone, brandishing his hammer-like claws as he charged at Kai!

Intense battle erupts instantly!

Kai's speed was as fast as a ghost, his figure flashing constantly in the confined space, his cane-knife moving like a goat's horns, stabbing at Mr. X's vitals from all sorts of tricky angles.

Mr. X, relying on his astonishing defense and strength, as well as his indestructible claws, engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle with Kai.

His claws, when swung, could not only easily tear through rocks, but also stir up large clouds of dust, interfering with Kai's perception.

Clang! Sizzle! Boom!

The ear-piercing sounds of clashing blades and claws, the shrieking of claws tearing through the air, and the booming sounds of stone pillars and walls being constantly destroyed echoed throughout the abandoned ruins.

Kai realized that this Mr. X was indeed one of the strongest opponents he had ever encountered! The opponent's defense was incredibly formidable. His slashes, infused with willpower and a trace of Armament Haki, could only leave shallow white marks on the opponent's keratin layer, failing to cause any fatal damage! And the opponent's claw attacks were not only incredibly powerful but also extremely fast and cunning, nearly breaking through his defenses several times!

What's more troublesome is that Mr. X can also disappear underground at any time to launch a surprise attack, forcing Kai to be constantly on guard against the threat from below.

The battle reached a stalemate.

Kai knew that continuing like this would be detrimental to him.