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

Kai's heart sank to the bottom.

Sanji's "testimony" became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He could clearly sense the panic and deliberate effort in Sanji's voice when he said those words, but he couldn't prove it to anyone.

In the face of public outrage, the emotions of Nami as the "victim," and the so-called "witnesses," all his defenses seemed so pale and powerless.

He felt an unprecedented sense of isolation and helplessness, as if the whole world was on the opposite side of him.

His former companions now looked at him with suspicion, anger, and disdain.

The friendships and bonds he had always cherished suddenly became as fragile as glass, shattering into pieces.

"No...that's not it..." Kai's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible despair as he made a final attempt. "Sanji, think about it carefully. Did you really see that? I just heard a sound and stood up..."

"Enough, Kai!" Usopp interrupted him, his face full of disappointment. "At this point, are you still going to argue? Sanji saw it all!"

Kai felt a wave of dizziness, as if the ground beneath his feet was spinning.

He knew that language had lost its power.

Perhaps... perhaps only the most direct and irrefutable physiological evidence could prove that he wasn't lying? Although he was extremely reluctant to expose his vulnerability in this way, at this moment, he seemed to have no other choice.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his trembling body.

Then, he raised his hand, pointed to his eyes, and said to Chopper, who was closest to him, in an almost pleading tone, "Chopper, you're a doctor, look at my eyes! Look closely at my pupils! Don't they react to light at all? Don't they look... lifeless?"

Chapter 13 Voyeurs and Liars

Chopper paused for a moment, then instinctively looked into Kai's eyes.

Those eyes were indeed somewhat different from what he usually saw; they seemed to lack a certain lively luster, and the size of the pupils did not change significantly under the surrounding light.

But... what does this prove? Maybe it's some kind of special illness? Or... is he faking it? Chopper's little head was filled with confusion. He looked at Kai, then at the angry Nami and Luffy, and for a moment he didn't know who to believe.

Seeing Chopper's hesitation and the skeptical looks on the others' faces that seemed to say, "Are you still acting?", Kai's heart grew even colder.

He gritted his teeth and made an even more extreme and humiliating move.

He turned around to face a thick wooden pillar in the courtyard, and then, as if completely unaware of the obstacle, walked straight ahead.

"Bang!" There was a muffled sound.

Kai's forehead slammed solidly into the pillar.

He staggered, covered his forehead with his hand, and looked pained.

The impact was quite severe, and his forehead immediately turned red.

He made this gesture to prove that he "cannot see" in the most primitive and clumsy way.

He could certainly sense the existence of the pillar, and even its material, temperature, and the subtle patterns on it.

But in order to prove that he was blind, he had to force himself to ignore these sensations and, like a real blind person, "accidentally" bump into them.

For him, this was not only physical pain, but also a tremendous psychological humiliation.

However, his self-destructive act of proof, in the eyes of those who were already convinced that he was lying, not only failed to prove anything, but also confirmed their thoughts—Kay was acting, and acting so clumsily and so recklessly, that he was doing everything he could to evade responsibility!

"Hey! Kai! What are you doing!" Usopp exclaimed, but his tone was more one of confusion and disgust. "Even if you want to prove you're blind, you don't have to do this, do you? This is obviously an act!"

"It's so fake! We were all watching!"

"Kay, stop acting! This will only make us look down on you even more!"

"Trying to prove you're blind by banging your head against a pillar? You still have the nerve to pull this kind of trick at a time like this?!"

Accusations and ridicule rained down on Kai like hailstones.

He covered his forehead, his back to the crowd, his body trembling slightly from pain and humiliation.

He listened to those once-familiar voices, which now sounded so harsh and hurtful.

The "normal" abilities he usually tried so hard to maintain in order to fit in and prevent others from noticing his "abnormality" were now like the most vicious curse, backfiring on him.

No one believed that someone so agile and perceptive could be blind. All the "evidence" pointed to him lying, making excuses, and using despicable means to evade punishment.

Just when Kai felt utterly hopeless, as if the whole world had abandoned him, a powerful and angry voice boomed like thunder, drowning out all the noise.

"Kai!!!"

It's Luffy.

He listened and watched the whole time, his anger burning ever brighter.

He saw Nami's aggrieved tears, heard Usopp and the others' accusations, heard Sanji's seemingly "conclusive" testimony, and saw what he considered Kaina's sophistry of "I am blind" and that clumsy "bumping into a pillar" performance.

Luffy is not someone who thinks things through or analyzes details.

His judgments are often based on intuition and emotion.

In his view, the facts were clear: Nami had been violated and wronged, and Kai was the culprit. Afterwards, he continued to deceive everyone with lies and ridiculous performances, insulting everyone's intelligence. This touched his bottom line of protecting his friends and punishing evil deeds.

He rushed to Kai, his body trembling slightly with rage. His eyes, usually filled with sunshine and freedom, were now burning with fury. He almost roared as he questioned the bowed-headed Kai:

"Kai! Why did you do this?! Why did you peep at Nami while she was bathing?! Do you know how heartbroken she was?! Do you know how despicable this is?!"

Luffy's voice struck Kai's heart like a heavy hammer.

He could sense the pure, undeniable anger and disappointment emanating from Luffy.

This was a question from the captain, and the anger of someone he had once considered an important partner.

"And what's more!" Luffy's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He pointed at Kai, his voice rising even higher with anger, "If you did something wrong, why didn't you just admit it?! Why did you lie to us?! Saying you were blind?! And putting on these pretentious acts?! What do you take us for?! What do you take the trust between us for?!"

Every word Luffy uttered was like a red-hot needle, piercing Kai's already riddled heart.

The captain's rage and the collective accusations from his crew plunged him into the abyss of despair.

He knew that everything was beyond repair.

Luffy's roar, like the prelude to a storm, and the powerful pressure emanating from him enveloped Kai as if it were a tangible presence.

This pressure comes not only from Luffy's own strength and momentum, but also from the will and decisions of the entire crew represented by his role as "captain".

Kai could clearly sense that Luffy's emotions were completely dominated by anger and his protective instincts towards Nami. His reason was like a candle blown out by a strong wind, making it difficult for him to hear any other opinions.

However, even in such dire straits, even with her heart invaded by cold despair, Kai still tried to straighten her spine.

He cannot be unjustly branded as a "voyeur" and a "liar."

He raised his head, and although he couldn't meet Luffy's gaze, he used all his strength to focus his senses on Luffy, and with an unusually calm, even weary and resolute tone, he stated that cruel truth once again, and for the last time:

"captain.

He began, his voice flat and emotionless, as if he were narrating something unrelated to himself, “I’ll say it again, and this is the last time.”

I, Kai, did not peek at Nami while she was taking a bath.

"

His tone was unusually firm, which made Luffy's anger pause slightly, and the surrounding noise subsided again. Everyone looked at him, wanting to hear what he had to say next.

Kai paused for a moment, then continued, "The reason is simple, as I have already stated before."

Because of me, I have been unable to see anything since birth.

I am blind.

".

Chapter 14 Perception!!!

When he uttered the word "blind man," there was no self-pity in his tone, only a detached statement of fact.

Then he tried to explain the ability that had been misunderstood: “The things you’ve always thought I could ‘see’—whether it’s spotting enemies, dodging attacks, sensing the environment, or anything else—are not seen with the eyes.”

That was my 'perception,' a... a capacity that transcended the five ordinary senses.

I rely on sound, smell, air currents, energy fluctuations, and other things that I can't quite explain to 'understand' the world, to act, and to fight.

".

He tried to use the simplest and most straightforward language to explain the secret world that he had been carefully hiding all along.

He hoped, even if there was only a slight chance, that the captain and his crew could understand that this "perception" and "sight" were completely different things.

A person who acts based on perception has neither the need nor the ability to "peek" at anything.

However, Kai's explanation seemed too complicated and unbelievable to Luffy, who was already overwhelmed by anger and preconceived notions.

"Perception? What kind of nonsense is this perception?!" Luffy interrupted him rudely, his anger rising. He couldn't understand or accept this explanation at all. "Stop spouting this incomprehensible nonsense, Kai!"

Luffy's way of thinking is very direct. He believes what he sees with his own eyes, the testimony of his crewmates, and the most basic logic.

In his view, Kai could do so many things that require "seeing" to do, so he couldn't possibly be blind.

Now, Kai not only refuses to admit his mistake, but also fabricates something like "perception," which sounds like an excuse. This is undoubtedly a continuation of sophistry and a way of making a fool of him and all his partners!

"I don't care what kind of 'sensory' you used or what!" Luffy's voice was filled with unwavering determination. "The fact is, Nami was spied on! Sanji saw you right next to him too! And you lied and said you were blind! You don't deserve to be our crewmates!"

Luffy's words struck Kai like a heavy hammer blow.

He realized that the captain wouldn't listen to his explanation at all.

In Luffy's simple world of black and white, once someone is labeled a "bad guy" or a "liar," there is no room for explanation.

The word "comrade," which he cherished so much, sounded like a death sentence coming out of Luffy's mouth.