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

Moreover, those top-tier skills are often held by major powers or powerful individuals, making them extremely difficult for outsiders to learn.

Developing unique moves that better suit him? This is the direction Kai has been trying to take.

By deeply integrating Observation Haki with combat skills, he created the unique "Sword Without Light" or "Fist Without Sound".

However, this requires a lot of practice, understanding, and time to accumulate; it cannot be achieved overnight.

Kai fell into thought.

He felt as if he had reached a crossroads.

To break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level, he needs a more systematic, focused, and in-depth training.

He needs an environment where he can focus wholeheartedly on honing his skills.

After careful consideration and intelligence gathering, Kai made a decision—to temporarily set aside his identity as a bounty hunter and find a remote, desolate, and sparsely populated island to engage in a period of secluded training.

He wants to use this time to thoroughly reflect on himself, consolidate his foundation, make up for his shortcomings, and systematically sort out and integrate the knowledge he learned from Fujitora with the experience he gained in actual combat, in an attempt to break through the current bottleneck.

Ultimately, through an information broker, he found an ideal location that met his requirements—an unnamed deserted island located on the edge of the first half of the Grand Line, not clearly marked on any nautical chart.

It is said that the island is surrounded by storms all year round, with a harsh environment, teeming with poisonous insects and wild beasts, and almost no trace of human activity.

This is exactly what Kai needs! The harsher the environment, the more it tempers one's will; the more remote the place, the more focused he can be.

Kai prepared ample supplies (mainly water and some food that could be preserved for a long time, as well as a large amount of medicine for injuries), and then hired a daring smuggling ship that charged a high price to take him to the outer waters of the deserted island.

When Kai, alone, finally set foot on the deserted island shrouded in gloom and storms in a simple sampan, a primitive, desolate, and wildly powerful aura washed over him.

He knew that the coming period would be another severe test in his cultivation journey, as well as an opportunity for a complete transformation.

Life on the deserted island was even more difficult than Kai had anticipated.

There is no trace of human civilization here, only the most primitive and cruel laws of nature.

The weather is unpredictable, sometimes with torrential rain and sometimes with scorching sun.

The island is covered with lush vegetation, but most of it is poisonous, and very few species are edible.

Water sources are also hard to find, often hidden deep in steep cliffs or dark caves.

Even more dangerous are the native wild animals on the island.

They seem to have become exceptionally fierce and cunning due to their long struggle against harsh environments, and among them are some powerful beings that Kai has never seen before, whose strength is comparable to that of pirates with bounties of millions of Berries.

But Kai was not afraid of this.

He chose this place to challenge his limits.

He quickly found a relatively dry and sheltered cave halfway up the mountain to use as a base.

Then, he began a near-mad, self-torturous period of secluded cultivation.

He was no longer satisfied with just basic strength and speed training, but began to systematically hone his physical and sword skills.

He swung his "Meditation" staff knife over and over again at the huge waterfall cascading down the cliff.

He didn't use his eyes to see, but rather his "inner eye" to perceive the immense power, the trajectory of the impact, and the subtle rhythmic changes contained within the surging, roaring water.

He tried to use the blade to cut through the water, to resist the impact of the water, and to go with the flow of the water.

With each swing of his sword, he strives to perfectly blend domineering presence with sword techniques, achieving effortless mastery and seamless execution.

The tremendous roar of the waterfall also became an excellent place for him to train his concentration in noisy environments.

He practiced his movements on the edge of a steep and precipitous cliff.

Below me was a bottomless abyss, and in my ears was the howling mountain wind.

He expanded his Observation Haki to its maximum to sense every change in wind direction and to capture every subtle fluctuation in the airflow.

He tried to maneuver on the cliff face, climbing like a gecko and gliding like a bird (using air currents).

Every mistake could lead to utter destruction.

This extreme training, which puts him on the edge of life and death, has made his movements lighter and more unpredictable, and has also brought his utilization of the environment to a new level.

He took the initiative to seek out and fight the most powerful beasts on the island.

He no longer fights merely for survival, but sees every fight as an opportunity to hone his combat reflexes and develop new techniques.

He tried to hone his Armament Haki defense and force-dissipating skills in battles against powerful beasts; to improve his reaction speed and predictive ability in pursuits against speed-type beasts; and to train his adaptability and strategies for dealing with Devil Fruits (or similar abilities) in battles against beasts with special abilities (such as those that can spit venom or release electric shocks).

In every battle, he gave it his all, pushing himself to the limit.

Being covered in wounds was commonplace, and he even faced death several times.

But he always manages to turn defeat into victory at the last moment, thanks to his indomitable will and desire for victory.

In these primitive and brutal battles, his unique combat system, which combines Observation Haki, Armament Haki (although still imperfect), physical skills, and swordsmanship, has become increasingly sophisticated and deadly.

The training on the isolated island not only honed Kai's physical body and skills, but also served as a mirror, reflecting the shadows and struggles hidden deep within his heart.

After a day of intense training, the solitude and tranquility of the night often bring back the emotions and memories he had deliberately suppressed.

He would sit alone at the entrance of the cave, "listening" to the distant sound of the waves and the howling of the night wind.

At this time, the scene of being abandoned by the Straw Hat crew would always appear clearly in his perception world like a nightmare.

Luffy's angry and resolute face... Nami's eyes, a mixture of tears and disgust... Sanji's guilty and accusatory testimony... Zoro's cold scrutiny... Usopp and Chopper's disappointed and hurt expressions... and the ship that carried his brief joy and ultimate despair, its silhouette gradually receding into the distance...

These images, like maggots clinging to his bones, gnawed at his heart.

He couldn't help but clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, his body trembling slightly with anger and resentment.

"Why... can't I let go in the end?" he murmured to himself, his voice filled with bitterness and confusion.

He remembered the vow he had made—to become stronger, to prove himself, and to make those people pay the price.

This thought, like a flame, still burned in his heart, supporting him through the most difficult time.

At the same time, Fujitora's teachings, like a clear spring, often echoed in his ears.

"Hatred is a dangerous flame..."

"Hold fast to your inner principles..."

"See clearly what you truly want to protect..."

"Benevolent justice..."

The desire for revenge (or rather, to prove himself and seek justice) constantly clashes with the "benevolence and righteousness" taught by Fujitora deep within his heart.

He sometimes feels lost.

Was the path he chose right or wrong? By blindly pursuing power and dwelling on resentment of the past, will he ultimately become the very kind of person he once hated? If he were to encounter the Straw Hat crew again in the future, how would he face them? Would he draw his sword and settle old scores? Or… try to “understand” and “transcend” them?

This inner struggle and contradiction, like an invisible barrier, hindered his true spiritual growth.

He discovered that even though his strength was growing rapidly, he still couldn't overcome this inner hurdle.

He tried to use the method taught by Fujitora, through meditation, to perceive the nature around him, to listen to the "voices of all things," and to try to gain peace and enlightenment from them.

He could feel the freedom of the wind, the resilience of the water, the tranquility of the trees, and the eternity of the rocks... all of which could calm the turmoil in his heart to some extent.

But whenever the night is quiet, or when he encounters setbacks in his cultivation, the pain and obsession from the past still quietly emerge like a ghost, reminding him of that indelible experience.

He knew that the barrier in his heart remained strong.

To truly break through it is perhaps more difficult than breaking through the bottleneck of strength.

This will take time, an opportunity, and, most importantly, his own...final choice.

The training on the isolated island continues.

Kai's strength is improving rapidly, but his inner struggles have never stopped.

He was like a traveler teetering on the edge of light and darkness, the road ahead still full of unknowns and uncertainties.

After undergoing a period of arduous and rigorous seclusion on a nameless desert island, Kai felt that his strength had reached a new level.

His Observation Haki has become more refined and sophisticated, and although his Armament Haki is still not fully mastered, it has already taken shape and can barely cover his weapons and key parts of his body for short-term offense and defense.

His physical skills and swordsmanship have also been greatly improved through actual combat and extreme training, and his unique fighting style, which incorporates perception, has become more mature and deadly.

More importantly, after repeated struggles and reflections, his mindset has become more resilient and calm.

Although the shadows of the past still linger and the inner barrier has not been completely broken down, he is now better able to control his emotions and is no longer easily swayed by anger and hatred.

He knew that there was no point in staying on the deserted island any longer.

He needs a wider world and stronger opponents to test his cultivation results and continue to seek opportunities for breakthroughs.

So Kai left the deserted island that had witnessed his transformation and returned to human society.

He first contacted a relatively reliable intelligence broker he had worked with before, paid a considerable fee, and purchased information on high-bounty targets worth paying attention to in the first half of the Grand Line.

Soon, a message caught his attention.

Chapter 54: You kicked me out of the pirate crew back then! Now that I'm an admiral, why are you crying?!

"Target: Baroque Works senior agent, codename Mr. X, bounty: 75 million Berries."

Crimes: Suspected of multiple assassinations and subversive activities, ruthless in his methods, and suspected of being a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user (specific abilities unknown).

Recent activity traces: Kingdom of Alabasta and its surrounding waters.

"