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

All he cared about was getting stronger and... achieving his goals.

Rumors and gossip are nothing more than insignificant dust on the road ahead.

Little did he know that these seemingly insignificant specks of dust might one day coalesce into a massive sandstorm that would hinder his progress, and even... push his relationship with his former companions into an even more irreparable abyss.

After his injuries in Alabasta had largely healed, Kai did not linger long in this country, which had returned to peace but was filled with complex memories for him.

He successfully handed Mr. X (alive) over to the Navy (this time the Navy's attitude was much better, after all, he was a high-value bounty criminal captured alive), and received the huge bounty of 75 million Berries.

This money is enough to ensure he has enough to eat and wear for a long time, and also gives him sufficient capital to carry out his next plan.

He left Alabasta quietly, carrying the bounty, the encrypted booklet containing the secrets of Baroque Works (which he hadn't had time to study carefully), his scars that hadn't completely faded, and his increasingly complex thoughts.

Standing on the deck of a merchant ship sailing away from Alabasta, feeling the sea breeze that had become humid again, Kai's mood did not lighten despite the enormous wealth he had acquired.

The experience in Alabasta was like a boulder thrown into his heart, stirring up waves of emotion.

His fierce battle with Mr. X made him realize the improvement in his own strength, but it also exposed his shortcomings when facing top-level powerhouses (especially Devil Fruit users).

Crocodile's downfall and the Straw Hat crew's "heroic feat" gave him a more complex view of "power," "justice," and "chaos," and made him even more determined to take a different path from them.

As for those rumors about him, although he seemed indifferent on the surface, deep down he might have felt a subtle sense of weariness and helplessness.

It seems that no matter what he does, he cannot escape the fate of being misunderstood and stigmatized.

He knew he needed to find a new place, a place where he could fully recover from his injuries (both internal and external injuries take time) and where he could calm down and properly plan his next move.

He learned from the latest intelligence that the next leg of the Grand Line voyage would take him into even more dangerous waters.

The first half of the amusement park is nearing its end. The islands to come will be even more powerful and terrifying, both in terms of their natural environment and the forces that control them.

The entrance to the New World—the Sabaody Archipelago—and Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy, are no longer far away.

And those emperors who truly dominated the seas—the Four Emperors—shadowed the hearts of all sailors like a huge shadow.

He must improve his strength as soon as possible! Simply hunting pirates in the first half of the Grand Line is no longer enough to satisfy his need to become stronger.

He needs stronger opponents and tougher challenges!

At the same time, he also needs a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the top power structure of this world.

The interplay and dynamics between the Four Emperors, the Marine Headquarters, the Seven Warlords of the Sea (though he hopes to abolish them, they remain an important force), and even the mysterious Revolutionary Army... will directly influence his future path.

He decided to travel to an island closer to the middle of the Grand Line, where information was more advanced and there were more powerful beings.

·0 requests for flowers········

There, he could access higher-level bounty missions, gather more crucial intelligence, and also... seek out potential opportunities to further enhance his strength (for example, finding stronger swordsmanship or physical training? Or... trying to develop Haki more deeply?).

As for the specific destination, he still needs to study the nautical charts and intelligence carefully.

But a new course was gradually becoming clear in his mind.

The yellow sands of Alabasta have been left behind.

The sea ahead was turbulent and full of unknowns.

But Kai's gaze (in his perception) was more resolute than ever before.

He gripped the "Tranquility" cane knife tightly in his hand, as if he were grasping the thread of his destiny that stretched endlessly in the darkness.

His hunting career is about to turn a new, more dangerous, and more exciting page.

Having left the noisy and painful land of Alabasta, Kai did not rush into the next hunt.

He stayed for several days in a relatively quiet port town nearby, where he handed over the encrypted booklet containing the secrets of Baroque Works, which he had seized from Mr. X, to a familiar information broker for decryption and analysis (of course, he paid a considerable fee and removed the parts that might expose his information).

He knew that this intelligence might come in handy at some point in the future.

At the same time, he also carefully studied the route map of the Grand Line (by sensing special markings and textures) and related intelligence.

He needs to choose an island where he can hone his skills, acquire more information, and potentially come into contact with higher-level bounty targets.

......0.......

Ultimately, his gaze (perception) settled on a place with a rather ominous-sounding name—Gaya Island, and the island's notorious pirate stronghold, "Magic Valley Town."

According to intelligence, Mock Town is one of the important transit points where many pirates and adventurers would choose to stop before entering the second half (New World) of the Grand Line.

It's a place teeming with all sorts of people and powerful figures, a veritable "lawless zone," but it has also become a crossroads of intelligence and opportunities.

It is said that many stories about the New World, and even about the legendary "One Piece," circulate there.

More importantly, the town of Mogu and the surrounding waters are frequently frequented by powerful pirates, including many Supernova-level figures with bounties exceeding 100 million (although Kai is currently unaware of the concept of "Supernova"). This means that there are enough "prey" there to satisfy his needs for improving his strength and earning bounties.

Although the town of Mogu was far more dangerous than anywhere he had ever been before, it was far more appealing to Kai, who was eager to become stronger and was already used to walking in darkness and danger.

He learned that a merchant ship was heading towards Mogu Town, so he bought a ticket without hesitation and embarked on a new journey.

This is a medium-sized armed merchant ship, clearly modified to cope with the increasingly dangerous environment of the Grand Line.

The ship had significantly more guards than ordinary merchant ships, and they exuded a fierce aura, appearing to be experienced veterans.

Most of the passengers on the ship were not good people either. There were taciturn loners with a reserved aura, groups of three or five mercenaries with wary eyes, and even a few guys that Kai could sense carried a faint smell of blood and pirates, but who were deliberately disguised as ordinary merchants.

In such an environment, Kai naturally chose to keep a low profile.

He paid a relatively high price for a small, separate room located at the bottom of the ship's cabin.

Most of the time, he stayed in his room, either meditating cross-legged to hone his domineering cultivation, or taking out his "Tranquility" staff knife to carefully wipe and maintain it, feeling the increasingly strong connection between the blade and his domineering aura.

He rarely left his room. Even when he occasionally went out for some fresh air, he would only stand quietly by the ship's railing when there were few people on the deck, "listening" to the sound of the waves and feeling the sea breeze.

His simple dark clothes, taciturn demeanor, and empty eyes made him look like an inconspicuous, perhaps somewhat reclusive, blind traveler.

However, his "shrewdness" never rested.

In seemingly peaceful meditation and solitude, Kai's perception, like invisible tentacles, quietly enveloped the entire merchant ship.

He could clearly "hear" the footsteps of the crew patrolling the deck, the shouts of those manipulating the sails and ropes; he could "hear" the various sounds coming from other passengers' cabins—the clamor of gambling, the whispers of plotting, the complaints of the journey, even the quarrels between husband and wife; he could "sense" the different emotions emanating from each person—the captain's composure and anxiety, the sailors' weariness and vigilance, the merchants' greed and calculation, the mercenaries' ferocity and apathy…

Through these silent "eavesdropping" and "perceptions," Kai, like an detached observer, quietly absorbs all sorts of information.

Chapter 57: Nami receives a divine intervention right in front of the Straw Hat Piercer! What's the use of crying your eyes out?!

He heard many reports about the recent dramatic changes along the Grand Line.

The aftermath of the Alabasta Kingdom incident continues to unfold. Crocodile's downfall has subtly impacted the balance of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Navy appears to be strengthening its control over the first half of the Grand Line.

He heard more descriptions of the "New World".

The latter half of the route, known as the "strongest sea in the world," is even more challenging, with a harsher environment, more unpredictable weather, and is inhabited by even more terrifying monsters and more powerful pirate emperors—the Four Emperors.

Everyone who enters the new world must be prepared for a near-death experience.

He also heard some... somewhat absurd legends.

For example, the existence of "sky islands".

Some people confidently claim that in the skies above a certain sea area along the Grand Line, there exist islands made of clouds, where lost ancient civilizations and endless golden lands reside.

But many others scoffed at this, believing it to be nothing more than a pipe dream.

This information, like countless streams, flows into Kai's ocean of knowledge.

He gained a deeper understanding of the vastness, complexity, and cruelty of this world.

He knew that his current position was merely an insignificant corner in this vast and magnificent ocean.

He still has a long and arduous road ahead to truly take control of his own destiny and fulfill that distant vow.

But in his heart, there was no fear whatsoever, only an even stronger determination.

The cruelty of this world will only make him more hardened; the vastness of this world will only inspire his stronger desire to explore and his ambition to become stronger.

After sailing through wind and waves for several days, the ship finally arrived at its destination – Gaya Island.

As Kai followed the crowd down the gangway and stepped onto the island's soil, an extremely strong and pungent odor, unlike anything he had ever smelled on any other island, instantly enveloped him!

"607"

Violence! Naked, undisguised violence!

Desire! Greed, lust, destructiveness—all kinds of primal desires are unleashed here without restraint!

Chaos! Lawlessness! There seem to be no rules here, only the most primal law of the jungle!

The air was thick with the sour smell of cheap alcohol, the strong smell of tobacco, the smell of sweat and vomit, and a faint but persistent stench of blood! Most of the buildings on both sides of the street were dilapidated, and the walls were covered with all kinds of vulgar graffiti and pirate symbols.

The streets are teeming with pirates in all sorts of strange costumes and menacing appearances. They have fierce eyes, speak rudely, and might draw their swords at the slightest provocation.

The sounds of fighting, shouting, and wild laughter rose and fell, never ceasing.

This is Mock Town! A true "lawless town," a paradise for pirates!

Kai's brow furrowed deeply.

He could clearly feel that the malice and danger permeating this place were more than ten times stronger than anywhere he had ever been before! The air seemed to be thick with a violent aura, making his skin feel slightly stinging.

He knew this was definitely not a good place.

Surviving here is a huge challenge in itself.

Any weakness or hesitation could lead to fatal danger.

But at the same time, he also sensed that amidst this chaos and danger, there seemed to be some kind of... special "vitality" and opportunity hidden.

There is no pretense or disguise here, only the most authentic law of the jungle.