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

He set out his conditions, maintaining the necessary vigilance and distance.

Smoker seemed unsurprised by Kai's decisiveness and caution, and nodded in agreement: "Okay."

As long as you can help us find our target, everything else is negotiable.

"

And so, a peculiar, temporary "cooperation" was reached between the Navy and the former pirate (now bounty hunter 4.4).

Kai was taken to a naval patrol boat.

He received much-needed food, fresh water, and medical treatment (the ship's medic was shocked when he saw the extent of his injuries and found it hard to imagine how he had drifted for so many days in that condition).

After regaining some of his strength, he immediately threw himself into the "cooperation".

He unleashed his Observation Haki without reservation, like the most sophisticated radar, scanning the vast surrounding sea.

He carefully discerned the various scents lingering in the sea breeze, listened to the faint sounds hidden beneath the waves, and tried to detect energy fluctuations that might point to the fugitive's trail.

Soon, Kai, with his superior search capabilities that far surpassed those of naval radar and ordinary scouts, detected the extremely faint but unique energy trail left behind by the escaped pirate officer!

"Found it!" Kai pointed southwest. "It's about fifteen nautical miles away, moving at a moderate speed. Its aura is very weak, but it's still hiding."

"

Smoker immediately ordered the patrol boats to give chase at full speed!

During the ensuing pursuit, Kai's abilities impressed, and even shocked, all the naval soldiers on board!

He could predict in advance when a fugitive would change direction!

He can accurately identify the traps and deceptive tracks set by fugitives!

He can even sense the emotional fluctuations of fugitives caused by tension and fear, thus judging their possible next move!

Under his precise guidance, the naval patrol boat seemed to have "eyes in the sky," firmly grasping the cunning fugitive and constantly closing the distance.

Finally, in a sea full of reefs, the fugitive was cornered.

A manhunt inevitably broke out.

Chapter 68 Assessing Strength

Although it was agreed that the Navy would be responsible for the capture operation, during the battle, the pirate officer fought desperately and showed considerable strength, causing considerable trouble for the Navy soldiers.

At crucial moments, Kai still "inadvertently" made two moves.

One instance was an early warning that allowed Smoker to evade a fatal sneak attack; another was interrupting a fugitive's attempt to unleash a powerful move with a precisely thrown pebble.

Ultimately, with Kai's "assistance" and Smoker's personal intervention, the escaped pirate officer was successfully captured.

Throughout the entire cooperation process, Kai didn't say much and always maintained a cold distance, but his amazing perception and powerful combat ability at crucial moments (although it was only the tip of the iceberg) completely impressed all the marines on the ship.

They looked at the taciturn "blind man" with eyes that were no longer filled with contempt and doubt, but with awe and a hint of... curiosity.

Who exactly is this "blind hunter Jingxin"? And what secrets does he hold?

Through this brief collaboration with the Navy, Kai gained a more direct and diverse understanding of the organization.

The disciplined and fearless style of Smoker and his soldiers, as well as their dedication to capturing criminals (regardless of their motives), showed him something... the power and value of "order".

Perhaps... the Navy isn't as bad as he imagined?

Of course, this was far from enough to change his overall view of the navy, let alone make him consider joining.

But at least, this "cooperation" has placed a small weight on the complex scales in his heart, a weight that may influence his future choices.

The few days that Kai spent on that naval patrol ship were a rather peculiar experience.

Although he maintained a high degree of vigilance and a sense of distance, trying to avoid too much unnecessary contact with the naval soldiers, as a natural "information gatherer," he still used his strong perception and limited communication with Smoker (or the other relatively upright officer) and some junior soldiers to gain a more specific and in-depth understanding of the vast organization that is the Navy.

He no longer viewed the navy merely through external rumors and stereotypes, but was able to glimpse a corner of its internal workings.

He could sense that the 10 naval soldiers on the patrol boat, although all wearing the same uniform, were not exactly the same.

Most soldiers were filled with absolute obedience to orders and a kind of... numb professional burnout. They carried out patrol and arrest missions day after day. Perhaps they once had ideals of justice, but they had long been worn down by the tedious and dangerous reality.

However, a small number of young soldiers still have a yearning for "justice" and an expectation for the future in their eyes (or perception). They will talk about the deeds of naval heroes in private, or complain about the bureaucratic style of some officers.

Through limited conversations with that officer (Smoker, for example) (although Smoker is tough, he doesn't mind revealing some "common sense" information within his duties to Kai, who has shown strength and is not hostile), and by "eavesdropping" on the conversations of other officers on the ship, Kai learned that the Navy was not a monolithic entity.

He vaguely heard talk about "hawks" and "doves".

It seems that a portion of the Navy's high command (represented by Akainu?) advocates for the implementation of "complete justice" through absolute force, adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards pirates and upholding the authority of the World Government at all costs.

Another part of the navy (represented by Aokiji or Sengoku? or even some potential allies of Fujitora?) is relatively more moderate, focusing more on protecting civilians, believing that justice needs to take into account human feelings and actual circumstances, and taking a more complex or pragmatic attitude towards certain pirates or the Seven Warlords system who are not particularly heinous.

He also learned about the Navy's complex attitudes toward different powers.

The Navy considers the Four Emperors to be the greatest threat and an object that must be contained, but it also seems to feel troubled and helpless due to the disparity in strength.

The attitudes within the Navy towards the Seven Warlords of the Sea are even more divided. Some see them as a necessary "evil" that can be used to restrain the Four Emperors and stabilize the situation; others despise them, believing that they are a stain on the Navy's justice (Smoker clearly belongs to the latter).

As for the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, most of the Marines seem to maintain an attitude of... awe and absolute obedience, even if they have doubts or dissatisfaction in their hearts, they dare not easily show it.

This information gave Kai a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Navy as an organization.

He realized that the Navy was not a simple, symbolic representation of "justice," but a complex entity filled with various contradictions, factions, conflicts of interest, and differing voices.

Here you'll find "hard-bone" individuals like Smoker who stubbornly uphold their own sense of justice, as well as corrupt bureaucrats and scoundrels who deceive their superiors (like the one he met in Medicinal Springs), and idealists like Fujitora who attempt a difficult struggle within the system.

This discovery did not make Kai more favorable toward the Navy, but it at least made him realize that he could not simply regard all naval forces as either enemies or friends.

If he really has to deal with this huge organization in the future, he will need to be more careful in his discernment and judgment.

However, just as Kai was quietly observing and contemplating on the naval ship, an unexpected trouble was brewing.

The news of Kai's "cooperation" with the naval patrol boat inevitably leaked out in the end.

Perhaps their collaborative pursuit of the fugitive was witnessed by other ships in the nearby waters (such as bounty hunters also searching for the target, or simply spies of the pirates).

Perhaps some soldiers or officers within the navy spread this "strange tale" (a skilled blind bounty hunter assisting the navy in capturing a fugitive) as a combat achievement or a topic of conversation after returning to port.

Or perhaps, it was some intelligence brokers who had been keeping a close eye on Kai's movements who learned of this information through special channels.

Regardless of the process, the news that "the blind hunter Jingxin is cooperating with the Navy" spread like wildfire through some underground channels in the first half of the Grand Line.

This news immediately caused a huge uproar and further fueled previous speculation and rumors about Kai's "collusion with the government".

In that underground world that believes in the simple logic of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and "the Navy and pirates/bounty hunters are irreconcilable enemies," Kai's "cooperation" with the Navy was interpreted by many as a signal of "defection" or "collusion."

Some bounty hunters who had previously had contact with Kai or had only heard of his name began to keep their distance from him.

They believed that Kai was "dirty" and had become involved with the Navy, which could cause them trouble, or that he was simply a "spy" planted by the Navy among them.

Some pirates or black market forces who had grudges against Kai or were jealous of his reputation gloated and even began to spread more vicious rumors in secret, portraying Kai as a complete "government lackey" who betrayed his comrades and acted as an accomplice to evil.

Even the intelligence dealers who had previously traded information with Kai have become more ambivalent.

Some people felt that since Kai had managed to get in touch with the "Navy" (which they mistakenly believed), he might be even more valuable, and they tried to use this to raise the price of intelligence.

Others, however, worried that getting too close to Kai would backfire, so they began to deliberately distance themselves from him and even refused to provide him with any sensitive information.

Kai quickly sensed this change.

When he ended his cooperation with the navy and arrived at the new port city, he found himself feeling increasingly strange and wary gazes (perception) wherever he went.

Some underworld figures who used to be quite polite to him now avoid him altogether.

Obtaining deeper intelligence has become more difficult and expensive than before.

The invisible label of "colluding with the government" was thus forcibly placed on his head.

Kai felt a deep weariness and... irony about it.

He was clearly wary and suspicious of the navy, and could even be described as disgusted by it.

His choice to cooperate with Smoker was merely a stopgap measure and a matter of mutual exploitation.

But this brief, informal contact was enough to brand him as "unclean" in this black-and-white underworld.

Rumors and gossip can become a powerful force if repeated three times.

He experienced once again what it felt like to be misunderstood and stigmatized.

Moreover, this time it seems to be more serious and has a wider impact than the one on the Straw Hat Ship.

He knew that explanations would be futile.

In this world, people tend to believe only what they want to believe.

The more he tries to explain, the more likely he is to be seen as trying to cover something up.

Since that's the case, then... no explanation is needed.

Kai's eyes grew even colder.

Since the world so easily labels him, he might as well turn those labels into his motivation and... disguise.

So that those who revere him, speculate about him, or even hate him will never be able to see through his true heart and purpose.

He will respond to these rumors and doubts with greater strength and more ruthless methods.

Let everyone know that "the blind hunter Jingxin" is not someone who can be manipulated and slandered at will!

After safely delivering Kai to a sizable port city, Steelbone Island (an island known for its heavy industry and arms trade), Smoker (or the other officer) also fulfilled his promise.

As Kai was preparing to disembark and leave, Smoker, unusually, took the initiative to find him.