[24] : Evolving Haki! Next Destination!

As Usual. Bonus Chapter Every 100 Powerstones :)

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Somewhere in the East Blue, a ship flying the Buggy Pirates' Jolly Roger sailed alongside another small vessel, lashed together.

Luffy was clearly unhappy about sailing under Buggy's flag; he desperately wanted his own Jolly Roger.

But the flag's design was painted directly onto the sail, and they needed the sail deployed to move.

Luffy tried to protest, but a sharp glare from Nami instantly silenced him.

Just like in the original story, Luffy had left one sack of treasure behind for Orange Town's reconstruction, earning him a fierce scolding from Nami.

However, despite lecturing Luffy, Nami wasn't truly angry deep down.

Seeing Orange Town's plight reminded her sharply of her own home, Cocoyasi Village, suffering under Arlong's violent rule.

Helping Orange Town rebuild was something Nami genuinely wanted to do.

At the same time, the realization that Rowen and his crew were fundamentally different from other pirates deepened within her.

Remembering Rowen's earlier words, waves of emotion stirred in Nami's heart.

Should she... rely on Rowen and the others?

But that monster, Arlong... could Rowen's crew really defeat him?

She had almost saved up the 100 million Beri needed to buy back Cocoyasi Village from Arlong. Was it necessary to take such a risk now?

But... could Arlong's word truly be trusted...?

No! Stop thinking like that! Otherwise, what was the point of working so hard to earn that 100 million Beri?!

Nami stared blankly at the sea chart, lost in thought, then shook her head fiercely.

Right now, focus on planning properly for these guys. In their current state, they have no hope of surviving the Grand Line.

"Just as I thought. Trying to reach the Grand Line with boats like these is completely reckless," Nami stated seriously after composing herself, looking from the chart to the two small, makeshiftly tied vessels.

"Guess we really do need more crewmates," Luffy commented from the bow, munching on an apple.

"It's not just about personnel! This ship's lack of proper equipment absolutely won't keep us safe!" Nami declared, hands on her hips.

"Exactly! We definitely need a musician!" Luffy agreed wholeheartedly.

"A musician? Hahahaha!" Zoro couldn't help but burst out laughing upon hearing that.

Heading into the Grand Line, notoriously known as the 'Pirate Graveyard', and the most important thing was a musician?

Luffy's way of thinking was truly unlike anyone else's.

"You idiot! Rowen, say something! You know some navigation too, right?" Nami, now somewhat accustomed to Luffy's bizarre logic, could only clutch her head in exasperation before turning to Rowen.

"Hooo... Haaa..." Rowen, who had accumulated sufficient 'Disposition' through Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) and was currently 'digesting' it by absorbing the sea's energy from the wind to strengthen his Haki, opened his eyes upon hearing Nami.

"Relax, Nami. You're our crew's navigator now. My navigation skills can't compare to yours at all. You decide our next course," Rowen said with a smile.

Since Nami had only joined temporarily and wasn't a full-fledged Straw Hat yet, Rowen couldn't equip her Traits.

Nami's Climate Sense (Pale Gold) Trait, though non-combat related, was something Rowen greatly desired.

After all, even the original author himself had stated that Nami's incredible talent for sensing weather changes with her body, if combined with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, could potentially elevate her combat power above Zoro's, making her the second strongest in the Straw Hat crew.

Even without the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, just acquiring Zeus boosted Nami's combat abilities dramatically.

One could only imagine how terrifying the combination of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the Climate Sense (Pale Gold) Trait would be.

Rowen, who aimed to acquire the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, naturally hoped to obtain this Trait as well.

But Rowen wasn't worried. Nami joining permanently was only a matter of time; acquiring that Trait was inevitable.

As for navigation? Since they had a navigator now, Rowen was happy to leave route planning entirely to Nami.

What Rowen needed to do now was continue getting stronger.

His Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold) Trait, continuously strengthened by Born of the Sea (Apex Gold), had now changed, displaying a progress bar.

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Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold): Initial mastery allows overwhelming weaker wills into unconsciousness (Pale Gold) ——> [|...] ——> Further mastery enables basic Conqueror's Haki Infusion into attacks (Deep Gold).

———

Once this progress bar was filled, Rowen's Conqueror's Haki would automatically upgrade to the Deep Gold tier.

He would then be able to preliminarily infuse Conqueror's Haki into his attacks—reaching the level Yamato displayed in the original story.

Once evolved to Deep Gold, even relying solely on Conqueror's Haki, Rowen's strength would leap to the level of a top-tier Yonko Commander.

The power of Conqueror's Haki was simply too overwhelming.

Even at the Deep Gold tier, before exhausting his Haki reserves, he could likely trade blows with an Emperor using Infused Conqueror's for a short time.

This was unlike other Yonko Commanders or Admiral Candidates, who often couldn't even withstand a single full-power Infused Conqueror's strike from an Emperor.

Someone capable of basic Conqueror's Haki Infusion was definitely a strong contender for being the most powerful individual below the Emperor/Admiral tier.

Although the upgrade progress bar was moving slowly, the crucial point was that Rowen could upgrade his Haki thanks to Born of the Sea (Apex Gold).

Other powerful individuals in the One Piece world lacked such means. They could only rely on the slow, crucible-like process of accumulating 'Disposition' through the blood and failures of their enemies to gradually strengthen their Haki.

And this accumulation, which couldn't be achieved through simple training, was incredibly time-consuming.

Before Luffy, even powerhouses like Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger generally didn't reach the peak of their strength—fully mastering Conqueror's Haki Infusion—until they were well past forty years old.

The age at which powerhouses in the One Piece world reached their absolute peak often exceeded fifty.

Most of the current Emperors and Marine Admirals—the pinnacle figures on the seas—were over fifty, with the notable exception of Red-Haired Shanks, who was under forty.

This was because accumulating 'Disposition' was incredibly slow, requiring years of experience and countless victories to forge exceptionally strong Haki.

But Rowen, possessing the Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) Trait, didn't need to rely on such gradual accumulation. He just needed to continuously 'train' (swim and digest) to constantly strengthen his Conqueror's Haki until he fully mastered Infusion.

The more Rowen used this Trait, the more satisfied he became with it.

"Alright. If we head a bit further south, there's an inhabited island. It would be great if we could get a decent ship there," Nami announced, studying the chart and planning their route seriously.

"Then let's go there! Time for meat!" Luffy cheered, raising his hands.

"Don't forget the booze!" Zoro reminded him.

"You guys!" Nami instantly transformed into her sharp-toothed exasperated state again.

"South, huh."

Rowen gazed towards the horizon.

He had already looked at the chart. Their destination was Syrup Village.

Besides being Usopp's hometown...

It was also the birthplace of that ship—the one whose fate caused endless grief for countless One Piece fans back on Earth—the Going Merry.

Having acquired Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), what Rowen needed most now was a well-equipped pirate ship... and a cook.

After all, only a properly equipped ship could store large quantities of nutrient-rich meat.

Small boats like these could only carry fruits for sustenance during voyages. And eating only fruits wouldn't allow him to fully utilize the body-strengthening potential of his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple).

Rowen closed his eyes again, focusing on digesting the 'Disposition' gained from Born of the Sea (Apex Gold), continuing to strengthen his Conqueror's Haki.

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