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

He straightened his back, adjusted his breathing, and slowly released his senses, spreading them like ripples of water, covering the entire courtyard and the surrounding environment.

He could "hear" the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind, "smell" the subtle changes in the concentration of sulfur in the air, "feel" the temperature and texture of the stones under his feet, and "catch" the shouts of Luffy and his crew in the restaurant in the distance, as well as the faint sound of splashing water coming from the direction of the women's bath, and the occasional lighthearted laughter of Nami and Robin, filled with the mist of water vapor.

These sounds and breaths intertwined in his mind to form a vivid picture.

He could even tell that Nami's splashing of water was more lively, while Robin's movements were more relaxed.

He was immersed in this meticulous perception of his surroundings. This was not only his duty, but also his daily practice and way of improving his still incomplete understanding of the rudimentary form of "Observation Haki".

The tranquility of the courtyard contrasted with the noise in the distance and nearby, and he stood at the center of this contrast, like a silent observer, sensing the flow of everything.

Unbeknownst to him, a storm was brewing that would shatter this tranquility and plunge him into immense trouble.

Sanji lingered in the hotel for several hours, his inner restlessness becoming increasingly difficult to suppress.

Miss Nami and Robin were enjoying the wonderful time in the hot spring behind that bamboo curtain. Just imagining that scene almost made his nose bleed uncontrollably.

Reason told him that this was something he absolutely could not do, but the instinctive lustful impulse was like an invisible hand, pushing him step by step closer to the women's bath area.

He tried to walk as quietly as possible, like a thief, pressing himself against the wall of the corridor and peeking around to observe his surroundings.

After confirming that no one was paying attention to him for the time being, he tiptoed into the path leading to the women's bath.

The path is paved with cobblestones and lined with low bamboo and ornamental shrubs. At the end of the path is a waist-high bamboo wall and a symbolic bamboo curtain gate at the entrance to the women's bath.

Sanji's heart was pounding like a drum. He kept telling himself, "I'm just passing by, just looking at the scenery," as he stealthily approached the bamboo wall, trying to find a gap through which he could peek inside.

His eyes scanned the bamboo walls and curtains like searchlights, so focused on finding his target that he completely ignored what was happening under his feet.

Just as he thought he was getting closer to his target undetected, his left foot stepped on a loose pebble.

The stone sank sharply downwards after being subjected to force, and slid to the side at the same time.

Sanji was completely unprepared for this change, and his body instantly lost its balance, staggering forward several steps.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed in surprise, waving his hands wildly in the air, trying to grab something to steady himself.

However, he stumbled right in the direction of the entrance to the women's bath.

His out-of-control body, like a cannonball, crashed heavily into the not-so-sturdy bamboo curtain door.

With a loud crash, the bamboo curtain was violently shaken inward by his impact, and several bamboo strips were even broken. He almost fell into the women's bath as well.

Almost at the same moment Sanji stepped on a loose rock, lost his balance, and cried out in surprise, Kai, who had been sitting quietly in the courtyard not far away, sensing his surroundings, immediately noticed the unusual movement.

Those weren't normal footsteps; they carried a chaotic aura of panic, imbalance, and rapid movement, followed by the sound of objects colliding.

This unusual fluctuation immediately alerted him.

"Hmm?" Kai suddenly opened his eyes (though there was no visual change), his brows furrowing slightly.

He could clearly "hear" the short, startled cry and the sound of something hitting the bamboo curtain, which came from the direction of the women's bath entrance.

Was it an accident? Or was someone plotting something? He immediately stood up and turned towards the direction from which the sound and chaotic atmosphere came—the path leading to the hot spring area—trying to discern more clearly what was happening there.

Since he was originally sitting in the courtyard near the entrance of the path, when he stood up and faced the direction of the incident, his position was exactly on the only way from the courtyard to the women's bath, not far from the bamboo curtain door that had been hit.

His expression was serious, and all his attention was focused on sensing the situation over there, trying to figure out what was going on with this sudden commotion.

Nami was comfortably leaning against the edge of the hot spring pool, enjoying the comfort of soaking in the hot water. The steam blurred her vision and relaxed her nerves.

She happened to be facing the entrance to the women's bath and was talking to Robin about something interesting.

Just then, the bamboo curtain at the entrance suddenly shook violently. Accompanied by a man's short exclamation and a thud, a blurry male figure wearing a hotel yukata (it was Sanji who stumbled over) flashed past behind the shaking bamboo curtain.

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, and her vision was obstructed by the steam and the swaying bamboo curtain, the sudden intrusion of the male figure and his invasive action (slamming the door) instantly ignited Nami's fear and anger.

She felt that her most private and relaxed state had been brutally violated.

"Ah—!" A sharp scream, filled with terror and anger, suddenly erupted from the women's bath, shattering the tranquility of the hot spring area.

"Who's peeping there!" Nami instinctively covered her chest with her arms, her voice trembling with fear, but even more so with shame and anger at being violated.

Sanji, who crashed into the bamboo curtain, was terrified when he heard Nami's scream, which was loud enough to lift the roof off.

His mind went blank; his only thought was to escape this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

Being caught peeping by Nami (although he bumped into her by accident, the effect was the same) would have unimaginable consequences! He didn't even have time to steady himself or see what was going on inside. He scrambled to his feet and ran back as fast as he could.

In his extreme panic, Sanji's mouth completely lost control. While running for his life, he shouted incoherently, "It wasn't me! I didn't see anything! Really! It was a rock! It was a rock that tripped me!" He tried to explain, but to others, his panicked words sounded more like a guilty conscience trying to cover up his mistake.

Just as Sanji was fleeing in a panic, Kai, who had just stood up and was facing the direction of the incident, trying to figure out what was going on, was standing on a path not far from the entrance to the women's bath.

Sanji hurriedly ran past him, creating a gust of wind.

From certain angles, especially from the direction of the women's bath entrance or from the perspective of people rushing over, Kai's position and posture can easily lead to misunderstandings—it looks like he just came out of the women's bath area or was about to go in when Nami's scream interrupted his actions.

The serious expression on his face, caused by his focused analysis of the situation, could easily be misinterpreted as nervousness after being caught doing something wrong or as feigned composure.

Chapter 10 Kai! You were spying on Nami?!

Nami's scream was so shrill and penetrating that it not only echoed throughout the entire hot spring inn area, but was also heard by the Straw Hat crew members who were a little further away.

"It's Nami's voice!" Zoro, who was resting with his eyes closed in the corner, suddenly opened his eyes and gripped the hilt of his sword.

Although he often bickers with Nami, he is the quickest to react when his companions are in danger.

"Miss Nami!" Usopp, who was fighting with Luffy for food in the restaurant, heard it and was so startled that he dropped the meat in his hand.

Zoro, who was closest, sprang from his spot almost instantly, and following the direction of the sound, he rushed to the path leading to the hot spring area in a few flashes.

Following closely behind were Usopp and Chopper, who also heard the screams and looked anxious.

When they arrived at the scene, this is what they saw: the bamboo curtain at the entrance of the women's bath was still swaying slightly, as if it had just been bumped by someone.

Nami, wrapped in a bath towel, her wet hair plastered to her face, stood by the bathtub, trembling all over, her face streaked with tears and filled with uncontrollable anger and humiliation. She pointed towards the path and cried out, "Someone! Someone was peeping at me while I was bathing!"

Looking in the direction of Nami (or rather, the source of the scream), they saw Sanji running away quickly, leaving only a hurried silhouette (Zoro, with his sharp eyes, recognized that it was Sanji's yukata and hair color).

Even more striking is that Kai is standing in the middle of the path not far from the entrance to the women's bath.

Kai remained facing the entrance to the women's bath, his face expressionless, or rather, displaying a seriousness and calmness that was difficult to decipher.

"Why is Sanji running away?" Zoro frowned, but immediately turned his attention to Kai, who remained at the scene.

Because Kai's location was too suspicious, right at the junction of the women's bath entrance and the path, and he was the only one left near the "crime scene".

"Kai!" Usopp also saw Kai. Combining Nami's crying and Sanji's fleeing figure, a terrible thought instantly took hold of his mind.

He pointed at Kai, his voice trembling with disbelief and anger, and shouted, "Kai, did you do that?! Did you peep at Nami while she was bathing?!"

Chopper's eyes widened as he looked at the crying Nami, then at Kai standing there expressionless, his little head filled with confusion and bewilderment.

At this moment, Sanji may have already run back to his room and hidden away, or found a corner to hide in. Only Nami, who was crying angrily, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper, who rushed over, and Kai, who was standing in the most suspicious position and being directly questioned, remained at the scene.

Chaos, anger, doubt, and confusion instantly filled the once peaceful courtyard and the path leading to the hot springs.

Faced with Usopp's direct questioning filled with shock and anger, Zoro's scrutinizing and oppressive gaze, and Namin's tearful and accusatory look (although she may not have directly pointed the finger, her pointing and crying undoubtedly directed the finger at Kai's location), Kai's heart, which was always as calm as a still well, was stirred up violently for the first time.

He could clearly "hear" the trembling and disbelief in Usopp's voice, "feel" the vigilance and scrutiny emanating from Zoro, and even "perceive" Nami's intense emotional fluctuations—fear, shame, and the pain of betrayal.

These negative emotions surged towards him like a tide, making him feel an unprecedented sense of pressure and confusion.

He frowned, and his eyes, which always seemed empty, appeared to be trying to focus, but in vain.

He could feel that everyone's attention was focused on him, filled with strong suspicion and condemnation.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the frustration and grievance rising in his heart from being misunderstood, and denied it resolutely in the calmest but unusually firm tone: "It wasn't me."

"

These three words entered everyone's ears clearly, decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"I have been guarding the supplies in this yard and have not left."

"Kay continued to explain, his voice remaining calm, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a slight, suppressed emotion."

"Just now I sensed an unusual noise coming from here, like someone fell and bumped into something, followed by Nami's scream."

I was worried that something might have happened, so I stood up and walked over here to check on the situation.

"

He tried hard to recreate everything he had just sensed: the panicked atmosphere, the staggering footsteps, the muffled thud of the bamboo curtain hitting the ground, and the faint gust of air that followed as Sanji fled in a panic.

He attempted to describe the energy traces and sound signatures left by the "intruder".

However, his explanation seemed so weak and powerless at this moment.

"You sensed it? Sensed what?" Usopp was still agitated; he couldn't accept this explanation. "You were standing right here! So close to the women's bath! Who else could it be but you? Sanji may have run away, but he clearly ran past you from behind!" Usopp recalled the scene he had just witnessed; Kai's position was simply too conspicuous.

Zoro didn't speak, but his sharp eyes never left Kai, as if trying to see right through him.

He also remembered Kai's location, which was indeed very suspicious.

Moreover, what Kai called "perception" was, in their past understanding, almost equivalent to superhuman "sight" and "hearing".

Since he can "sense" the abnormality, why can't he "sense" or "see" who the intruder is? If it wasn't him, why couldn't he identify the fleeing Sanji?

Kai tried to explain further: "I can sense the flow of energy and the details of sound, but I can't 'see' specific images like you do."

All I can confirm is that there was definitely another person here just now. He created chaos and then quickly fled, heading in the direction of…”

"Enough!" Nami interrupted him, her voice still trembling with tears, but filled with more disappointment and anger. "Kai! I trusted you so much! How could you do such a thing! And you still want to argue!" She couldn't accept that her partner, who usually seemed reliable, calm, and even someone she could depend on, would do such a despicable thing.

Kaina's claim of "not being able to see," in her extreme emotional distress and shame, sounded like an insult to her intelligence.

After all, Kai's usual quick-wittedness and keen observation had already left a deep impression on her and others.